Voluntary Aid Detachment nurses from the Red Cross in the front doorway of Dunsdale. The centre woman of the three standing is Blanche Warde.
Reference: WH0747
Maude Finch is ready for duty in this photograph taken in the back yard of ‘Belleview’ New Street, around 1915. The uniform typifies the period with mop-cap and starched detachable collar and cuffs and a long apron and underskirt. The house known as ‘Belleview’ is now called ‘Dolphin Corner’
Reference: WH0749
In 1915 army chaplain the Reverend Phillip Clayton was sent to the battlefields of France and then on to the town of Poperinge in Belgium. A few miles back from the trenches around Ypres, ‘Pops’ was a busy transfer station where troops on their way to and from the Flanders battlefields were billeted. ‘Tubby’ Clayton ...
Reference: WH0750
Members of Westerham TocH pack up Christmas goodwill food parcels to be distributed amongst the aged and infirm of the town L-R Lord Colgraine, Norman Peskett, Alan Hobbs, Fred Johnson, Harold Beale, Doug Major and Charlie Taylor. Seated is ‘the pilot’ Bob Strickett Photo courtesy Sevenoaks Chronicle Westerham Toc H gets the ...
Reference: WH0751
A cartoon of Westerham TocH members in characature sketched by Sevenoaks artist Mickey Durling in 1962
Reference: WH0752
The mansion of Dunsdale was reputed to have become the dower-house of Valence and was tenanted to Bank Director Francis John Johnston from the time of purchase by Norman Watney (of the brewery family) in 1890, to the time of Francis’ death in 1911, aged 80 years. 1911 was a notable year, being also the year ...
Reference: WH0745
The mansion of ‘Dunsdale’ on the estate of the late Norman Watney had been converted into a hospital of fifty beds in 1914. The first consignment of wounded men were 48 Belgian soldiers some of whom are shown here. Dunsdale Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) hospital was managed by the British Red Cross Society. The nursing staff ...
Reference: WH0746
Unlike those billeted in the various church halls, schools and municipal buildings that had been converted into V.A.D hospitals throughout the county, convalescing soldiers at Dunsdale would find the gardens a quiet and idyllic environment ideal for recuperation of mind, body and soul…
Reference: WH0748
In 1941 the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance took over the big house at Combe Bank rent-free from the ‘Society of Holy Child Jesus’ for ‘the duration of hostilities’ as a RAF convalescent hospital. They also took over a big house near Swanley which became the Parkwood Auxiliary Hospital and Convalescent Home for convalescent servicemen, especially ...
Reference: WH0741
Part of a letter written to the chair of Westerham’s Nursing Association from the Charity Commission giving suggestions as to how to disperse the remaining funds when the association was wound up following the formation of the National Health Service in 1948
Reference: WH0744
The second quarterly meeting of Westerham Nursing Association for 1946 was held on July 30 at ‘Fiddlers’. In ‘any other business’ a letter was read from Doctor Winder suggesting that the Association devote some of their funds to the purchase of an apparatus for the use of analgesia in midwifery. At the request of the ...
Reference: WH0743
…The Committee were unanimous in their support of Nurse Wilson and it was agreed that the Chairman, Miss Hannah Bartlett would write to Dr Cotton. This cannot have gone well as the following month the Committee resolved – notwithstanding objection from the Chairman – to formally withdraw the letter along with a written apology to ...
Reference: WH0742
