The garden steps in front of Kingston Lacy mansion
Having just been to hospital having turned my ankle (just a sprain) I thought it was time for a little bit more from the WWII American Army hospital at Kingston Lacy. We get a great insight into life at the hospital through the letters and photographs we have in the archive, lots of details about the hospital site, staff and patients. From the archive we are even able to get an idea of what they did when on leave or had a day off, including visiting the wider estate and local sights.
- At Corfe Castle, in the upper ward the Gloriette in the background
We have a few photographs taken at Corfe Castle an early medieval castle, and part of the Bankes estate since 1635. Most of the pictures feature the Officers but in one there is a large group including nurses as well.
the exit from the Keep, the main tower of the castle
We were never sure how much access to the house and gardens they had but from the photographs and memories we now know they used part of the house for the Officers and could also visit the gardens, right next to the house.
Corfe Castle main gate
In the collection of photographs we have received from various families of staff who worked at the hospital we know they visited Southampton, London and even Scotland, this may have been after the war finished and before they went back to America.
American ships docked in Southampton
Westminster Bridge front of the Houses of Parliament
The Forth bridge across the Firth of Forth
Archaeology National Trust SW 
That was interesting. I hadn’t realised Kingston Lacy had been a hospital, or more correctly I must have forgotten. It’s been a long time since I went on a tour of the house, although I wandered round the gardens with my camera recently.
Hi, you may have seen the remains of the hospital as you walked around the wider gardens, though they are at the very back of the park. If you click the Army hospital on the word cloud you will see the previous posts including pictures of the surviving buildings 🙂
Thanks. I’ll have to check that out.
Once again fascinating stuff, so really look forward to the next installment – Jackie x