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With the advance of British forces at the front, the report states that urgent calls have been made to all hospitals in the area to increase their accommodation by 50%. This is not possible for the Order’s Hospital at Étaples, but Chief Commissioner Clark notes in the report from 29th September 1915 that, should an emergency arise, the Hospital could extend its capacity by 200 beds. Creating additional wards from existing space, as well as from the former public mortuary, allows this extra accommodation to be provided, as the military authorities cannot offer any tents for the purpose.
Further to last week’s report, he notes that accommodation for the new Chaplain, Rev. F. E. L. Gower, has been found in Étaples, and that another nine men are required to complete the team of personnel at the Hospital. Meanwhile, the current Hospital staff are hit by a mild case of enteritis, which is thought to be due to the onset of winter and changes in weather conditions.
Lastly, the report notes how severe some of the cases admitted to the Hospital are. Three patients have already died and Chief Commissioner Clark writes that he is ‘afraid more are expected’.
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St. John Ambulance Brigade Hospital,
Army Post Office S. 11,
British Expeditionary Force,
France.
29/9/15
The Director,
The Ambulance Department,
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem
In England.
My Lord,
The chief point of interest during the past week is the
removal of the Public Mortuary from the vicinity of the hospital
so that we are now free to make use of all our wards.
At the end of last week an urgent call was made on all
Hospitals in the neighbourhood to increase their accommodation
50%. I was not able to do this but I am now prepared as an
emergency if required to increase by 200 beds, 60 short of the
50 required. The Military Authorities could not provide me with
tents so that the increased accommodation has had to be made by
the utilization of buildings as wards originally intended for
other purposes. It is only a temporary measure during the present
advance of our Forces, and up to the present we have not had to
utilize it as out evacuations are keeping pace with out admissions.
I communicated with the Senior Chaplain here on the matter
of the Rev. F.E.L. Gower, and am informed that accommodation
could be found for him in the town of Etaples about a mile from
the hospital.
I am sending for a final reinforcement of 9 men to com-
plete our personnel as I find that they will all be required.
They will be enlisted in the R.A.M.C. and be payed by the
Government.
There has been a slight experience of mild Enteritis
amongst the whole of the personnel of the hospital, I think
probably due to the sudden change of weather. It has not been of
sufficient severity to incapacitate them or cause any alarm.
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The weather has become very wet and cold with North East
winds amounting to a gale at times.
We have received some very serious cases amongst the patients
and I regret to say three deaths have occurred amongst them, and
I am afraid more are expected.
I have the honour to be,
Your Lordships
Obedient servant,
James Clark
