Netley Hospital
Paul Smyth's diary entry for July 31st 1917 reads;
"Wounded on the first day of the Battle of Paschendale whilst leading D. Brigade of 17th Manchester at Ypres. Came back to England where I spent the next 9 months at Netley Hospital."
Mr Smyth pictured above at Netley Hospital (The Royal Victoria Hospital) in Hampshire, England with other patients. He is sitting to the left of the nurse (as you look at the photo) who is seated next to the bed.
Netley Hospital, 1918 - FG151
Paul Smyth painted the picture (above) in January 1918. It is of the Horsham Hut, British Red Cross Hospital at Netley.
A record of the figures in the painting remains (see below).
They are Sister Foggerty (extreme left), Private Hitchings (patient), Captain Martin (leaning over patient), V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Cecile Bailey (behind Captain Martin) and Sgt. Major Hudson (fifth figure from left).
Paul Smyth also painted a watercolour portrait of V.A.D. Cecile Bailey (see below) in 1917. Cecile Bailey was the daughter of Colonel Sir Abe Bailey, the South African mining magnate, politician and financier (1864 - 1940).
CECILE BAILEY, NETLEY, 1917 - FG169
POSTCARD OF GEORGE V AND PRESIDENT POINCARE VISITING FRENCH TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR ONE
Netley Hospital Today
Today, only the hospital chapel remains. This was originally scheduled for demolition, but was saved at the last moment as a monument to the hospital. The site, near Southampton, is now open as the Royal Victoria Country Park.
Links
