VADs at Catterick Camp Military Hospital

Item

Title

VADs at Catterick Camp Military Hospital

Who?

VADs at Catterick Camp Military Hospital during 1918-1919

Item(s)

29 photos - photo album cover and dedication - poem - VAD discharge certificate

Story

These photos belonged to my grandmother Batchie Griffiths (VAD General Services clerk) who was at Catterick Camp Military Hospital during the period February 1918 to February 1919. The names are as given in the captions in her photo album. Some of them can be identified with certainty: Superintendent Mrs Henderson was Sousa Marie Henderson, Phyllis was Phyllis Jenkins (later Mrs Parker), Minnie was Williamina Melville (later Mrs Scales). Maude was probably Maude Hoare. Bell may have been Evelyn Bell Taylor, who started at Catterick in February 1918 and whose Red Cross record identifies her as a lab. assistant. Theo was probably Theodora Gray, at Catterick from October 1915. Biggsie was probably Florence Hilda Lily Biggs who was a clerk at Catterick from January 1918 to Feb 1919. Tuckie might have been Dorothy Margaretta Tuckett, who was at Catterick Military Hospital from August 1918. I have not been able to identify Bobby, Pat, May/Mae, G or Peggy.

All names are given going from left to right.
1. Group photo of VADs, nurses and patients. I cannot identify any of the people on this photo, which was probably taken during the winter of 1917-18.
2. The staff at the Quarter Master’s stores, Catterick 24 March 1918. Batchie Griffiths is sitting on the right.
3. Bobby?, Peggy?, Mrs Henderson, G, Pat?
4. Bobby, Pat and Phyllis
5. Bell in the lab
6. Bell and Peggy
7. Bell
8. Biggsie, Batchie, Minnie
9. Phyllis, Mrs Henderson, G
10. Mrs Henderson, Maude, Minnie (at the back), Pat (front), Bobby, Biggsie
11. Mrs Henderson
12. Tuckie on the Swale
13. Bobby
14. Minnie and Maude
15. (Standing) Bobby, Batchie, Mae, Pat; (sitting) Minnie
16. Batchie and Peggy
17. Maude
18. Maude
19. Phyllis
20. Phyllis, Batchie (?)
21. Mrs Henderson
22. Pat and Mae
23. ?
24. G and Phyllis
25. Bobby
26. “A happy group”
27. “Picnic down Colburn”. In the centre of the back row: Maude. Far right: Minnie. Others unknown.
28. Standing: Batchie
29. “After Catterick” – identification uncertain.
30. Photo album cover
31. Photo album dedication, October 1918
32. “Life is funny, don’t you think?” Poem dated 8 September 1918
33. Batchie Griffiths’ Discharge Certificate
With thanks to Ann Green, volunteer with the Imperial War Museum project Lives of the First World War, for her help in identifying some of those shown in the photos.

When?

1918-1919

Where?

Catterick Camp Military Hospital

Contributor

Alathea Anderssohn

Item sets

This item was submitted on June 19, 2019