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Members of Birchington VAD
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Members of Birchington VAD
Members of Birchington VAD. Seated (l-r) Mary Holmes (Lady Superintendent), Hannah Powell-Cotton (Commandant), Alice Cobb (Quartermaster). Standing (l-r) Elsie Alice Smith, Florence Perfect, ?, ?. Clara Lasey Buss, Dora Evelyn Watson. 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 14244857
© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
Alice Birchington Clara Cobb Commandant Cotton Detachment Dora Elsie Evelyn Florence Hannah Holmes Members Opened Perfect Powell Quartermaster Quex Recuperation Rehabilitation Superintendent Voluntary Watson Buss Smith
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the dedication and commitment of the Birchington Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during the First World War. The image features key members of the Birchington Detachment, which ran the Quex Park VAD Hospital in Kent from October 1914 to January 1919. Seated from left to right are Mary Holmes (Lady Superintendent), Hannah Powell-Cotton (Commandant), and Alice Cobb (Quartermaster). Standing are Elsie Alice Smith, Florence Perfect, two unidentified volunteers, Clara Lasey Buss, and Dora Evelyn Watson. The Quex Park VAD Hospital was an essential facility during the war, providing medical care, rehabilitation, and recuperation for wounded soldiers. The hospital was the brainchild of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum and husband of Commandant Hannah Powell-Cotton. The hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and remained operational for nearly five years. The women in this photograph played crucial roles in the hospital's day-to-day operations. Lady Superintendent Mary Holmes oversaw the nursing staff, while Commandant Powell-Cotton managed the overall running of the hospital. Quartermaster Cobb was responsible for the hospital's supplies and equipment. The standing volunteers, including Elsie Smith, Florence Perfect, Clara Buss, and Dora Watson, likely performed various tasks, from nursing to administrative work. This photograph offers a poignant reminder of the vital role that volunteers played in caring for wounded soldiers during the First World War. The dedication and sacrifice of the Birchington VAD members ensured that countless soldiers received the care they needed to recover and return to their homes and families.
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