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.