Four VAD patients at Quex House front door
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Four VAD patients at Quex House front door
Four patients are in front of the main door to Quex House. One, whose left leg is amputated is sitting on a chair. Another is sitting on the arm of the chair. The other two are standing alongside. Three men are holding cigarettes.The men are wearing the patients uniform of hospital blues - blue serge jacket and trousers, usually worn with a white shirt and red tie. The trousers of the man on the right of the photograph have been rolled up as they are too long for him. Hospital blues were provided one one size only. The man on the left of the photograph is wearing a full-length overcoat. All of the men are wearing carpet slippers which were provided for the men to wear indoors at the hospitals. Typically these were made by local Hospital Supply Depots staffed by volunteers. 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. Date: 1915
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Media ID 14305164
© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
Alongside Amputated Another Blues Cigarettes Four Main Patients Provided Rolled Serge Shirt Size Three Trousers Worn
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the daily life of patients at Quex House, a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) hospital during World War I. The scene unfolds at the front door of the grand Quex House in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, England. Four VAD patients take a moment of respite from their wards, their weary expressions hinting at the physical and emotional challenges they have faced. The man on the left, with a missing left leg, sits comfortably in a chair, his overcoat providing an extra layer of warmth. His companions make do with the standard-issue hospital blues, a uniform consisting of a blue serge jacket and trousers, white shirt, and red tie. The man on the right, whose trousers are too long, has rolled them up, a common adaptation to the one-size-fits-all uniforms. All the men, including the two standing, clutch cigarettes in their hands, a small luxury in the monotonous hospital routine. They wear the ubiquitous carpet slippers, locally made by volunteers from the Hospital Supply Depot. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened its doors on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. Commanded by Hannah Powell-Cotton, wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton, the hospital was a testament to the community's commitment to caring for the wounded soldiers. This poignant snapshot from 1915 offers a glimpse into the lives of these brave men and the compassionate environment they found in the midst of war.
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