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Patients and nurses in garden at Quex Park
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Patients and nurses in garden at Quex Park
A group of patients and nuses gathered in the garden at Quex Park, beside the buildings of the Powell-Cotton Museum. The men include Australian and Scottish soldiers. All are wearing the blue serge jacket and trousers of the patients uniform of hospital blues. A white shirt and red tie completed the uniform, but these men are wearing a variety of shirts and ties. On the right a patient is sitting in a cane Bath Chair. On the left a patient is lying in a four=wheeled cane bed. The patient sitting in the middle on thr ground has in front of him a small mascot figure on which a regimental cap has been placed. 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. Major Powell-Cotton was the VAD Transport Officer for the Isle of Thanet area, responsible for organising the transport of patients from the stations to the local hospitals. Date: circa 1916
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Media ID 14305214
© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
Australian Bath Blues Cane Completed Cotton Gathered Include Lying Mascot Nurses Patient Patients Powell Serge Shirt Shirts Ties Trousers Variety Wheeled
EDITORS COMMENTS
A Moment of Respite: Patients and Nurses at Quex Park VAD Hospital, circa 1916 This evocative photograph captures a tranquil moment in the history of Quex Park VAD Hospital, located in Birchington-on-Sea, England. Established on October 15, 1914, and closed on January 31, 1919, this hospital was run by the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), Kent/178, under the command of Hannah Powell-Cotton, wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum. The scene unfolds in the lush garden of Quex Park, with a group of patients and nurses gathered around, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. The patients, dressed in the blue serge jackets and trousers of the hospital uniform, or 'hospital blues,' are a mix of Australian and Scottish soldiers. Each man wears a white shirt and red tie, but the variety of shirts and ties adds a unique touch to their uniforms. On the right, a patient sits comfortably in a cane Bath Chair, while on the left, another patient lies in a four-wheeled cane bed. In the middle, a patient sits on the ground, holding a small mascot figure with a regimental cap placed on it. The presence of these mementos suggests a connection to their military past and a sense of pride and identity. Major Powell-Cotton, as the VAD Transport Officer for the Isle of Thanet area, played a crucial role in organizing the transport of patients from the stations to the local hospitals. The hospital at Quex Park provided essential care and support to soldiers recovering from injuries sustained during World War I. This photograph offers a poignant reminder of the resilience and camaraderie that defined the experiences of these patients and the dedicated nurses who cared for them.
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