Between 1915 and 1919 the Budworth Hall, Ongar, became a convalescent hospital for sick and wounded servicemen. Initially the hospital had 35 beds in two large wards (the largest being on the ground floor – the Essex Hunt Ball Room, with 22 beds. Upstairs the Concert Room had 12 beds. The first patients to arrive were mainly Belgian soldiers.
The hospital was affiliated to the Colchester Military Hospital.
In 1917 an extension was built and the number of beds was increased to 60.
The hospital was staffed by the Essex/32 Voluntary Aid Detachment. The VAD’s had been established in 1909, and consisted mainly of women. They worked alongside qualified nurses. They were trained by the British Red Cross in first aid, bed making, feeding a patient, giving a patient a blanket bath, and keeping a ward clean. Their role was mainly a supportive one as nursing assistants.
The hospital closed on the 22nd January 1919, and during the time that was in existence some 1,333 soldiers had received treatment. It was only used for other ranks as Officers were accommodated in the nearby Blake Hall.
Miss Ethel Jones the Matron who lived at Marden Ash House, was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her efforts.
In July 1915 an auxiliary hospital for convalescent officers opened at Blake Hall, in what had originally been a covered-in tennis court.
The building, lent by Mr and Mrs William Buckley Gladstone, was situated in the grounds, a short distance from the house. Additions and improvements were carried out to make it into a first-rate ward with a Dining and Recreation Room at one end. The Hospital had 20 beds and was affiliated to Colchester Military Hospital. Mr Gladstone also lent a motor car and the services of his chauffeur for the use of the Hospital.
The Hospital was financed and equipped by the Joint War Committee, with an additional grant from the War Office, but Mr Gladstone also contributed £250 a year towards the cost of the acetylene lighting and other expenses. He also paid the wages of the gardeners (the Hospital received a small amount of garden produce), the chauffeur and the cowman.
By 1916 the Hospital had 30 beds.
During the summer months a large marquee, lent by Lord and Lady Wolverton, was erected in the grounds. This increased the patient accommodation of the Hospital by six, making a total of 36 beds.
By 1917 the Hospital had 39 beds.
It closed in May 1919.
[During WW2 the house was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force, who used the south wing as an operations base for the airfields at Chipping Ongar and North Weald.]
Many large houses and hotels were used as Convalescent Hospitals.
Those being treated wore a blue uniform with a red tie, known as "Hospital Blues", once a solider was deemed fit enough to leave convalescence, he would return to one of the Command Depots for the rehabilitative training after which they would be allocated to a battalion, frequently a different battalion or regiment to that in which he had previously served, as his place would have been taken by another man to maintain numbers.
Those who did not recover sufficiently to return to active service were issued with a Silver War Badge, SWB, to wear on their lapel, this signified that they had completed their war service. The badges were individually numbered and numbers are recorded the medal cards of those who received them. Silver War Badges were also issued to soldiers who had completed the length of service they had signed up for, mainly regular soldiers who had served before the war and whose period of service expired before the end of the conflict.
Below are some of the auxiliary hospitals in West Essex that operated during WWI.
Bishops Hall Romford
Braeside Loughton
Brookfield Hale End Woodford Green
Coombe Lodge Great Warley
Down Hall Harlow
Hanover House Woodford Green
Hillsborough Red Cross Hospital Harlow
Ingatestone Court Auxiliary Hospital
Ivylands Epping
Marshalls Park Romford
Oakwood VAD Hospital Chigwell
Ormonde House Buckhurst Hill
St Lawrences Hall Upminster
Theydon and Grays Retreat Theydon Bois
Theydon Towers Hospital Theydon Bois
Town Hall Hospital Waltham Abbey
Woodford Memorial Hall South Woodford