Panteg House Military Hospital

Description

This photograph is on a postcard. The image on the front shows Panteg House Military Hospital. It was also known as Baldwin’s Auxiliary Hospital. Before the War, Panteg House had been built as the residence of the manager of Panteg Steelworks. However it was requisitioned and used as an auxiliary military hospital during the First World War. When war broke out the Red Cross acquired buildings across the UK to turn into hospitals. They were often run by local women who volunteered part time. There were over 3,000 auxiliary hospitals across the UK which shows how many women served during the war in this way.

Although all the patients were wounded the atmosphere in this postcard has a cheerful caption. The caption printed on the front reads ‘The Boys who Hindenburg Fears’. Paul Von Hindenburg led the Imperial German Army during the First World War. This positive mood reflects that patients in auxiliary hospitals tended to be less severely wounded than those in military hospitals. In addition the atmosphere was known for being less strict than a military hospital!

In the centre row, between the two nurses in the front row is Pte Louis Rapaport. He was born on 14 June 1897 and served with the Middlesex Regiment. Later, during the Second World War he would go on to serve as a Special Constable in Southport.