30th General Hospital of the University of California Part 1
The hospital buildings
WW2 US Hospital at Sutton in Ashfield
By Marg Thorne
The hospital was originally activated at Camp Livingston, Louisiana, USA. Its commanding officer was Charles B Kendall. Many members were civilians with no military training. Among them were 3 Red Cross Workers and 70 nurses.
On 3rd June 1942, they went by rail and ferry from Fort Dix to ?New York. 4th June they sailed for England on the Queen Elizabeth (U.S Army Transport). On 9th June they arrived at Gourock in Scotland, where they finished off their journey by rail.
10th June they embarked at a newly built hospital near Mansfield. The personnel consisted of the 16th Station Hospital, 207th General Hospital and affiliated group, and a unit of American Dept Casuals for rations and administration.
The hospital had been prepared by 53rd Med. Battalion acting as housekeepers.
The organisation occupied one enlisted, one nurses' and two officers' barracks, with four wards and main kitchen, one mess hall, and combined officers' and nurses' mess.
12 officers assigned to the group, but unable to accompany it sailed in late June 1942, but a submarine sunk their transport. There were no casualties, and they returned to USA. They later arrived back at the hospital in August 1942.
The first four patients belonged to the detachment.
The first formal ward opened 11th July 1942
The first major operation 5th August 1942
Evacuation of wards used as barracks began in Sept 1942, and was completed in Oct 1942.
Inspection by British Army Sept 1942
The first Nissen ward was occupied 29th Oct 1942.
Nissan area mess opened 2nd Nov 1942
Water was supplied from wells. Brick buildings housed emergency tanks in the roof. Supply to the nissen area passed to the reservoir of 40,000 gallons, from where wards were supplied. Though there had been some contamination from the water, it was corrected by chlorination, and cleansing.
First supplies came from London, soap, candy, writing materials, matches, shaving supplies, fruit juices, beer and tobacco. Following that, until the middle of August, rations were obtained from a British Supply Depot fifteen miles away. Since then rations were from two depots, and one sub depot (American). The furthest being 70 miles away. Milk, Eggs and Bread were produced locally.
The linen room was used for post exchange, with a desk placed across the doorway to serve as a counter. Initially, there was a premium added to the price, but soon they started selling at cost. It later became a sales store operating under the Quartermaster.
Garbage was collected daily by a local contractor. Rats and mice caused damage, and had to be controlled.
3,453 patients were admitted, 2,986 x-rays were carried out, 3,558 physiotherapy treatments, and 12,118 laboratory examinations.
The hospital later became King's Mill Hospital.
Searchable Hospital Records, which detail names and medal records can be found at Sutton in Ashfield Library; annual indexes 1943, '44 and '45 are viewable online in pdf format below. These refer to the holdings which can be seen on application at the Library.