Three men standing by wooden escape ladder at Quex
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Three men standing by wooden escape ladder at Quex
Three men are standing by an extendable wooden ladder. Two of the men are wearing the patients uniform of hospital blues but the trousers only. The uniform of jacket and trousers was made of blue serge. The man in the centre is in civilian clothes and may have been employed at Quex Park. The ladder was a fire escape ladder, capable of extending to the top floor of the house. Major Powell-Cotton was very concerned about the risk of fire to the house and his collections. He had enlarged the garden pond to act as a water reservoir and installed piping in the house to feed hose reels on each floor of the house. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. The hospital was run by Kent/178, the Birchington Detachment. The Commandant was Hannah Powell-Cotton (1881-1964), wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) of Quex Park, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum. Date: 1915
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Media ID 14305168
© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
Blues Capable Civilian Collections Concerned Cotton Employed Enlarged Escape Extending Feed Floor Hose Installed Ladder Major Patients Piping Pond Powell Reels Reservoir Risk Serge Three Trousers Extendable Made
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative photograph taken at Quex Park in 1915, three men stand by an extendable wooden fire escape ladder. Two of the men are dressed in the patients' uniform of hospital blues, but only their trousers are visible. The uniforms, made of blue serge, were a common sight during the operation of the Quex Park Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital. The man in the centre, dressed in civilian clothes, may have been an employee of Quex Park. Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton, the founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum and owner of Quex Park, was deeply concerned about the risk of fire to his house and its valuable collections. To mitigate this risk, he had enlarged the garden pond to act as a water reservoir and installed piping in the house to feed hose reels on each floor. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. It was run by Kent/178, the Birchington Detachment, with Hannah Powell-Cotton, wife of Major Powell-Cotton, serving as the Commandant. The hospital provided essential medical care to soldiers recovering from injuries sustained during World War I. The extendable wooden ladder in the photograph was a crucial fire safety measure, capable of reaching the top floor of the house in case of an emergency. The three men are likely preparing for a drill or inspecting the ladder to ensure it was in good working order. The photograph offers a glimpse into the daily life of Quex Park during the war years and the important role that the VAD played in providing care to wounded soldiers.
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