Hospital Evacuation Arrangements

Men with recruiting poster outside Sandy Town Hall [Z50/142/478]

Thursday 8th July 1915: 

After much negotiation arrangements have finally been agreed for the removal of sick and wounded from V.A.D. and private hospitals in Suffolk to Bedfordshire in the event of invasion. Should it become necessary the following emergency hospitals will be set up in Bedfordshire (numbers of beds are shown in brackets):

Turvey Schools (50) – to take patients from Elvesden Hall Hospital (8), Halesworth Patrick Stead Hospital (26) and Beccles Red Cross Hospital (20)

Bedford: Kempston Schools (100), Dunstable Yeomanry Drill Hall (80) – to take patients from Ampton Hall Suffolk Hospital (150) and Sudbury Red Cross Hospital (30)

Sandy Town Hall (60) – to take patients from Henham Hall Hospital (50) and Hengrave Hall Hospital (10)

Biggleswade Masonic Hall (30) – to take patients from Aldeburgh Red Cross Hospital (21)

Marston Moretaine Schools (50) – to take patients from Newmarket Rous Hospital (8), Sudbury St Leonards Hospital (6), Saxmundham R.A.M.C. Hospital (20) and Tostock Place Hospital (4)

Ampthill British Schools (100) – to take patients from Easton Park Hospital (50) and Bury St Edmunds West Suffolk General Hospital (45)

Woburn Town Hall (30) – to take patients from Melton Red Cross Hospital (30)

Toddington Wesleyan Schools (40) – to take patients from Bury St Edmunds Northgate Street (40)

Luton Union Infirmary (30) – to take patients from Newmarket Red Cross Hospital (35)

Luton, Coutts and Co, Bedford Road (30) – to take patients from Shrubland Park Hospital (25) and Woolpit Hospital (6)

Luton, Tennyson Road Schools (90) – to take patients from Sproughton Maryland (18), Ipswich Broadwater (40), Whepstead Plumton House (15) and Brettenham Park (23)

Source: WW1 Nursing Records [WW1/NU4]