Group photograph from hospital

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An official sepia photograph of thirty World War One military patients and three nursing staff taken outside a military hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.

The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed in pencil above his head, this must be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 23807, who wrote the letter.

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October 21, 2018 10:46:12 Stella Watkin

An official sepia photograph of thirty World War One military patients and three nursing staff taken outside a military hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.
The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed in pencil above his head, this must be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 23807, who wrote the letter.
October 20, 2018 18:11:43 Stella Watkin
An official sepia photograph of 30 World War One military patients with 3 nursing staff of a military hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.
The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed in pencil above his head, this must surely be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who wrote the letter.
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October 20, 2018 18:04:33 Stella Watkin
An official sepia photograph of World War One military patients with the staff of a hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.
The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed in pencil above his head, this must surely be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who wrote the letter.
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October 20, 2018 16:48:58 Stella Watkin
An official sepia photograph of World War One military casualties as patients with the staff of a hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.
The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed in pencil above his head, this must surely be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who wrote the letter.
- Show revision
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October 20, 2018 16:47:49 Stella Watkin
An official sepia photograph of World War One military casualties as patients with the staff of a hospital. Two people seated on bench at the front are wearing casts on one foot and have crutches at their side. Another, standing, has his arm in a sling.
The second man from the right sitting on the bench in the front row has two crosses inscribed above his head, this must surely be Private Joseph Derbyshire of the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment who wrote the letter.
- Show revision
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Description

An official WW1 War Hospital photograph of patients and staff including 23807 Pte. Joseph Derbyshire, 9th Batt. Loyal North Lancs Regiment 2nd from right seated in front row, the suits the men are wearing hospital uniform which is actually blue and white.  (the man maked X is identical to the one marked X in the next photograph)

About the hospital uniform:
https://www.worldwar1postcards.com/war-wounded-and-the-ramc.php

The Blue Hospital Suit
When he arrived in England a battle casualty was sent either to a hospital specialising in his type of wound or to one of the numerous convalescent establishments scattered throughout the UK. There, he was issued with a special hospital uniform consisting of a blue single-breasted jacket with a white lining - worn open at the neck, blue trousers, a white shirt and a red tie. To complete the outfit he wore his own khaki service cap with its regimental badge. The suit was also known as the ‘blue invalid uniform’, ‘hospital suit’ and ‘hospital blues’. Curiously - it usually had no pockets!  Officer casualties did not have to wear the blue suit, but instead, retained their service uniform. 
Numerous contemporary picture postcards survive today which depict British and Empire soldiers wearing hospital uniforms. Commercial photographers in the UK visited both military and civilian voluntary hospitals and snapped pictures of single and group gatherings of the convalescents there. The pictures were reproduced as postcards and each man would usually buy a few copies to send to friends and relatives.
Commercial postcard publishers soon had their artists producing illustrations of the suit - complete with verse.


"THE HOSPITAL SUIT." Verses penned by Kate Rawlins - printed and published by J. Salmon. The profit from the sale of the cards went to the Red Cross.
On 12th August 1918, a letter appeared in The Times signed by ‘F.D.M.’, who asked, "At the present time we are all unhappily familiar with the blue uniform of wounded soldiers...Can any of your readers tell us the origin or history of the blue invalid uniform?’ On 12th September readers provided some suggestions. Lieut-Col Walter H. James provided the most simple and practical answer for its existence. ‘The uniform...was probably introduced because it could be easily washed", he said.

This card - praising the men in blue - was published by Pucka Poppets Ltd., 53c Terminus Road, Eastbourne, Sussex.
Not everyone who wore the suit was happy with it. On 20th October 1916, The Times recorded that a Mr Randell "is to ask the Secretary of State for War on Tuesday whether he is aware that the blue uniform supplied to the wounded soldiers seems to be defective, in the outer skin of the garment, which is of flannelette, when washed shrinks at a rate from the lining, and that this problem produces an unsightly and bad-fitting garment; and whether flannel clothes cannot be given to the wounded instead."

An official WW1 War Hospital photograph of patients and staff including 23807 Pte. Joseph Derbyshire, 9th Batt. Loyal North Lancs Regiment 2nd from right seated in front row, the suits the men are wearing hospital uniform which is actually blue and white.  (the man maked X is identical to the one marked X in the next photograph)

About the hospital uniform:
https://www.worldwar1postcards.com/war-wounded-and-the-ramc.php

The Blue Hospital Suit
When he arrived in England a battle casualty was sent either to a hospital specialising in his type of wound or to one of the numerous convalescent establishments scattered throughout the UK. There, he was issued with a special hospital uniform consisting of a blue single-breasted jacket with a white lining - worn open at the neck, blue trousers, a white shirt and a red tie. To complete the outfit he wore his own khaki service cap with its regimental badge. The suit was also known as the ‘blue invalid uniform’, ‘hospital suit’ and ‘hospital blues’. Curiously - it usually had no pockets!  Officer casualties did not have to wear the blue suit, but instead, retained their service uniform. 
Numerous contemporary picture postcards survive today which depict British and Empire soldiers wearing hospital uniforms. Commercial photographers in the UK visited both military and civilian voluntary hospitals and snapped pictures of single and group gatherings of the convalescents there. The pictures were reproduced as postcards and each man would usually buy a few copies to send to friends and relatives.
Commercial postcard publishers soon had their artists producing illustrations of the suit - complete with verse.

"THE HOSPITAL SUIT." Verses penned by Kate Rawlins - printed and published by J. Salmon. The profit from the sale of the cards went to the Red Cross.
On 12th August 1918, a letter appeared in The Times signed by ‘F.D.M.’, who asked, "At the present time we are all unhappily familiar with the blue uniform of wounded soldiers...Can any of your readers tell us the origin or history of the blue invalid uniform?’ On 12th September readers provided some suggestions. Lieut-Col Walter H. James provided the most simple and practical answer for its existence. ‘The uniform...was probably introduced because it could be easily washed", he said.

This card - praising the men in blue - was published by Pucka Poppets Ltd., 53c Terminus Road, Eastbourne, Sussex.
Not everyone who wore the suit was happy with it. On 20th October 1916, The Times recorded that a Mr Randell "is to ask the Secretary of State for War on Tuesday whether he is aware that the blue uniform supplied to the wounded soldiers seems to be defective, in the outer skin of the garment, which is of flannelette, when washed shrinks at a rate from the lining, and that this problem produces an unsightly and bad-fitting garment; and whether flannel clothes cannot be given to the wounded instead."

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ID: 4487 / 52395

Source: http://europeana1914-1918.eu/...

Contributor: TONY BEALE

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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Group photograph from hospital

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www.worldwar1postcards.comAbout the hospital uniforms worn in WW1

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