Auxiliary Home Hospital at the Drill Hall, Skelton in Cleveland.
This was where the Skelton volunteers trained before the War.
Hundreds of buildings across the country were opened as "Auxiliary Home Hospitals" to cope with the increasing number of wounded.
30 places in the North Riding of Yorkshire had one.
At Skelton the Wharton Hall was fitted out at the expense of the Whartons of Skelton Castle and continued to be used until 1919.
[Photo from "History of Skelton" by T Curnow.]
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3331 Pte Duckett Sydney, Alfred. Home at - 24 Henrietta St, Thornaby on Tees, N Yorks. Born at Dawley, Wellington, Shrops. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died at home. Age 49. Buried at Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
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8th AUGUST. Left Camp by Companies and rendezvous at Mont Rouge. Then by Btn to the billets between Fletre and Godwaersveldt that the Bn occupied while "resting" in May.
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1457 L/Cpl Bulmer Frank. Born Pickhill, Thirsk, N Yorks and enlisted at Northallerton N Yorks. Died of wounds. Age 23. Buried at Wimereux [N of Boulogne, Hospital] Communal Cemetery.
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9th AUGUST. Day spent refitting as much as possible and discarding surplus kit which was sent for safe keeping at Divisional Dump.
The 50th Division had been relieved at Ypres by the 19th and now they were ordered South to the Somme where the great Battle had started on the 1st July with so many losses.
The 50th Division were to become part of III Corps of the Fourth Army.
10th AUGUST. Marched at night to Bailleul for entrainment.
Diary - "During the day men were discharged from Field Ambulances [mobile hospitals] on account of the move of the ambulances and were sent back to the Unit in a totally unfit condition for marching.
Also T.U. men were sent back. These men had all to be transferred to Bailleul under any arrangements the Battalion could make. On arrival the train supplied was found to be totally inadequate to carry the personnel of the Battalion comfortably, the accommodation provided being for a battalion at about three quarter strength. |
