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NETLEY ABBEY MATTERS!
Netley Military Hospital Names' Database
Reliable sources advise that there are no longer any official registers of the folk who walked the
corridors of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, the British Red Cross,
the Welsh and Irish Hospitals at Netley, Hampshire. UK between 1862 and 1966.
It turns out though that there are pockets of information in all manners of places
- newspaper articles, family notices, trade directories, telephone books,
private and public websites, past employees' memories etc.
So, back in December 2018, Julie and I started to trawl through these "pockets" to identify and record as many of these folk - Patients, Staff, family members, civilians, contractors, medical students -
we could find on to an Excel database.
Five years on, the Database currently holds about 11800 individuals.
All the Hospital Censuses from 1861 to 1921 and the 1939 Register are available too.
The Database itself is not accessible on this website.
Several of the pay-to-view military websites have shown an interest in its content so it needs to
be kept off-line to ensure it remains "free of charge" to the general public.
It also includes a considerable amount of personal data so it would not be right for this to be seen by all.
Just complete the form on Contact Me to find out if we have your relative on
the Netley Military Hospital Names' database or if you wish me to add him/her on!
My research is free of charge regardless of whether your relative was at Netley Hospital or not.
Burying the fallen of the Great War in the country where they died was the idea of Sir Fabian Ware, Founder of the Imperial War Graves Commission. He thought that it would result in equal treatment of soldiers and officers alike, as there would be no distinction between rich and poor,
those who could afford to bring their loved ones home and those who couldn't.
www.cwgc.org
Soldiers who died at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley could be returned to their home town by train,
at a cost of one penny a mile.
The Boys behind Hound War Memorial, Paul Keast + Maureen Queen
Photos from the Netley Hospital Names' database
If you recognise any of these folk, use Contact Me to share!
Yvonne Castino - a long-time resident of Netley Village shares her fond memories of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley.
"I remember the hospital when I was a child. My Grandfather was in the RAMC and worked there as did my Father and brother for short periods although as civilians.
My uncle was a tailor there too and he also worked in the NAFFI.
I was christened there and used to go to Sunday School in the Chapel when it was still part of the main building. Christmas time, there was always a fantastic crib in the chapel. I went to the hospital cinema and to the theatre productions and to the gym on Saturday mornings.
There was always a huge sports day once a year with all the soldiers taking part.
The Pier was a favourite place to hang out as teenagers before it was considered too dangerous.
Lots of memories right up to the day it was demolished when I cried to see it go."
Thanks Yvonne!
The Ministry of Defence finally relinquished control of the Royal Victoria Hospital site on 31st December 1978 and security was taken over by a professional civilian firm on behalf of the County.
In 1979, Hampshire County Council purchased the grounds and buildings for a reported figure of £890,000 and a part of the Hospital buildings, married quarters and the Albert and Victoria houses.
The immediate surrounds were taken over by the County Police as a training centre.
The future of the larger main Hospital building, 'The Coppice', 'Hollylea', and the Officers' Mess had
yet to be decided.
Happily it was decided to keep the former 'Royal Chapel' intact in 1966 to serve as a memorial to the Hospital, its soldiers, nurses and its patients.
The splendid and beautifully proportioned building with its arched ceiling full length balconies along each side of the chancel and, externally, the fine dome with its green patina still stands.
It's so worth a visit - or three!
Here's the Search Box. As it's free, it will give you results for other sites as well as this one, sorry!
Did you know ...
within the pages of the History of Netley Military Hospital on this website, the names of
hundreds of Members of Staff, Patients, family members are mentioned?
They are on our database too, often with additional information.
Why not use the Search Box above to see if your relative is already mentioned in
any of these pages?
