Page 8 - Hunstanton Town & Around - September 2013
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8 Hunstanton Town & Around September 2013 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
Home accompanied by Princess attend meals punctually or even
The Convalescent Home at War Mary and Prince Henry, and she return to the Home at night.
Jim Welham returned on the 29th of that month Several cases of grave
accompanied by her sister, the disobedience were referred to the
The Hunstanton Convalescent hundredweight iron girder about
Home was formally opened by the 12 feet off the ground. It was Empress of Russia. military authorities.
Prince and Princess of Wales on nearly in position when the Male patients requested that an The battle of Loos is little
14th April 1879 and provided scaffolding gave way. Most of the extension should be added for use remembered now, having been
accommodation for 20 male and workmen fell clear of the girder, as a smoking room, but the eclipsed by the later carnage of the
20 female patients, all working but Robert Barrett of Heacham architect was unable to see how it Somme and Passchendaele. It
class people from the eastern received a compound fracture of could be done artistically. The commenced on 25th September
counties particularly Norfolk, the leg below the knee. His committee said that 1915 when Kitchener’s Army
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. brother had been the victim of a photographers, organists and launched a major offensive in an
They were recovering from illness fatal accident in Heacham chalk architects all relied too much on attempt to break the deadlock in
and, in the opinion of their medical pit the previous year. their artistic tendency and the trenches. The British were
advisors, ‘would be completely Lady Ffolkes laid the improvements should come first. heavily outnumbered as they
restored to health by a few weeks foundation stone on 26th April Britain declared war on advanced over open ground
at the seaside, by sea- bathing, 1906. The next day the editorial Germany on 4th August 1914, and towards the well-fortified German
rest, care, good living and pure in the Lynn Advertiser said, ‘The as a result, wounded servicemen defensive positions. Their only
air.’ During the first year 360 Home will stand as a monument of soon began to be returned to hope was that the enemy machine
patients passed through the Home, piety and liberality long after England. Temporary hospitals gunners were incapacitated by the
and due to the huge number of those to whose gifts and labour it were required to accommodate release of vast amounts of chlorine
applications, the building was is due have passed away; and the them, either class A for bedridden gas. However the wind changed
extended on each side to stone will remain as a record for patients or class B for and many soldiers were enveloped
accommodate a further 20 future generations, and the convalescent and ambulant in a cloud of their own gas,
patients. The dining room and building as an inspiring example patients. In 62 Norfolk towns and resulting in over 50,000 British
kitchen were extended and another urging them, in their time, to rival villages auxiliary hospitals were soldiers killed or wounded.
two houses built, connected to the the good deeds of the year 1906.’ established in halls, public Amongst the notable fallen were
main building by a covered The Prince Edward Home for buildings, army camps, large Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon, the
walkway. convalescent children officially private residences, and even Queen’s uncle and Lieutenant
Up to the end of 1905 19,257 opened on 8th June 1907. (The Thorpe St Andrew’s lunatic John Kipling, 2nd battalion, Irish
patients had received the benefit of building is now the Borough asylum, after the inmates had been Guards who had just turned 18, the
the Home. It was then decided to Council Offices, Valentine Road.) moved elsewhere. The owners of only son of the author Rudyard
erect a new building in the The Convalescent Home had the premises were paid 3 shillings Kipling. The action was later
grounds exclusively for sick two sources of income. Either a day for each bed occupied by a described as ‘nothing but useless
children at a cost of £5,000 raised individual subscribers made wounded soldier and nothing for slaughter of the infantry.’ The
by the Home’s staunch and donations of money or goods, those unoccupied. surge of casualties needing
unfailing supporters. The which entitled them to write a On 11th February 1915 the War immediate admission meant that
architect was Alexander Paul letter of recommendation Office accepted an offer of 60 beds on 4th October 1915 40 more beds
Macalister and the builder Rueben nominating a deserving person to at the Convalescent Home which were occupied than originally
Shanks. The children’s home was be restored to health in the bracing became a class B auxiliary agreed. Hamon Le Strange,
designed to be compact to allow it air of Hunstanton, or Friendly hospital and subject to any Chairman of the Home’s General
to be administered by a small staff. Societies contributed, such as The conditions that the military Committee, took it upon himself
The kitchen and offices were Odd Fellows, who alone had 8,000 authorities imposed. The first to offer the military authorities 25
situated centrally and all the members in the Wisbech area. requirement was that all female more beds for the period up to 1st
dormitories could be supervised They made a levy on their patients should be excluded March 1916 as with winter
from the nurses’ room. The members which they could ill although children and some male approaching, there were few
building faced south-west, with afford to pay, but gave them the patients were still admitted. civilian patients and the home was
the largest windows possible to let comfort of knowing that if Wounded and gassed soldiers normally closed for cleaning each
in the maximum light. The air suffering from illness, they would started to arrive at Hunstanton on January and February. At that time
space allowed for each child was be admitted to the Home. 19th June 1915. They were all the Royal Gloucester Hussars
just less than 700 cubic feet. The Extensions to the main building required to wear the soldier-patient were stationed in Hunstanton and
main entrance gave access to the were added in 1910 and 1912, uniform of blue flannel jacket and requested a few beds to be put at
boys’ and girls’ wards on either making accommodation available trousers, white shirt and red tie, their disposal, as cavalrymen
side. Two extra staircases were for 100 patients. Nearly a although they retained their frequently received accidental
installed for ease of escape in the thousand adult patients and 150 military caps and boots. injuries. Hamon offered them 12
event of a fire. delicate children passed through The staff still consisted of only more beds for as long as they
On Good Friday 13th April the Home each year and stayed on the local GP, Doctor Sumpter, who remained in the town, on condition
1906 many of the workmen of the average for 3 weeks. became the medical officer, the that their own doctors attend to
new building were enjoying a King Edward VII continued to matron, two nurses, domestic staff them. The members of the
Bank Holiday, but a few men in take an interest in the Home he and female volunteers. There regiment seldom occupied more
the employ of Homan and had opened and subscribed 12 were no military orderlies to help than six beds.
Rodgers, subcontractors for the guineas a year. On 9th April 1912 maintain discipline and the Many subscribers to the Home
fireproof floors, were hoisting a 9- Queen Alexandra visited the walking wounded often failed to resented the excessive military