Monday 7 January 2013

HLF funding for research into First World War Hospital, Leeds



It was great to hear news of the successful funding bid of HeadingleyLitFest into life at 2nd Northern General Hospital, Becketts Park, Leeds.


The hospital had only recently been built for the City of Leeds Training College when shortly after hostilities broke out it was established as the 2nd Northern General Hospital.


The first batch of wounded soldiers to arrive in Bradford in October 1914 first came via the 2nd Northern General Hospital and they continued to send patients to various Bradford hospitals until the Bradford War Hospital was established in December 1915. I will be sharing with them the information that I have gathered on the work of the 2nd Northern General Hospital and hope that they might also uncover more information about the hospital work in Bradford during the course of their research.


The project will come to a climax in time for the seventh annual LitFest in March 2014 with the production of an illustrated publication and a dramatic performance based on its contents.


Can you help?

They are looking for letters, diaries and articles in newspapers, and trying to trace the descendants of people who were there – the grandchildren perhaps. They intend to put out appeals in print and online to find them, hoping that they have memories and photos to share.



2 comments:

  1. My uncle, Thomas Edward Lord was invalided out from France during WW1, and was suffering from shell shock. I believe that, despite his condition, he was put in charge of psychiatric patients at Becketts park. He seems to have transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RAMC. He was in the latter when in Leeds. His home address was: 19, Top O'th Hill Road, Walsden, Todmorden. I am interested in the psychiatric side of the hospital. Thanks. Janet

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  2. Hi Janet, the Abram Peel hospital in Bradford was one of the first dedicated hospitals dealing with shell shock patients in the First World War.

    http://www.bradfordww1.co.uk/content/abram-peel-hospital-leeds-road-hospital

    I haven't researched Becketts Park as that is based in Leeds however there has been a HLF funded project looking at the hospital

    http://headingleylitfest.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/a-warning-from-matron.html

    http://headingleylitfest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-wartime-hospital-at-becketts-park.html

    Hope this helps - Kathryn

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