Ambulance train at Ramsgate Town Station

London and North Western Railway Ambulance Train (No. 7) at Ramsgate Town Station in March 1916. The construction of 12 ambulance trains was ordered on 5th August 1914. All the major railway companies provided one or two. The first trains arrived at Southampton Docks on 24th August and the others by the end of the month, in ample time for the distribution of the first ship-loads of wounded from France. Each train consisted of ten eight-wheeled coaches, five were wards for 20 stretcher patients each, others were a kitchen car, pharmacy car with bath and operating room, three cars were for the staff and stores. Later a further ward was created by using one of the staff cars, increasing capacity to 120 stretcher patients. Corridor coaches could be added for sitting patients. Eight more ambulance trains were added later. The busiest day during the War was 6 July 1916 when 10, 112 patients were distributed from Southampton and Dover to various hospitals. This photograph is in the archive collection related to the Quex Park VAD Hospital. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. The hospital was run by Kent/178, the Birchington Detachment. The Commandant was Hannah Powell-Cotton (1881-1964), wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) of Quex Park, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum. Major Powell-Cotton was the VAD Transport Officer for the Isle of Thanet area, responsible for organising the transport of patients from the stations to the local hospitals

Added Ambulance Ample Brichington Busiest Capacity Coaches Commandant Companies Consisted Corridor Detachment Distributed Distribution Dover Further Hospitals Increasing Loads Operating Ordered Organising Patients Percy Pharmacy Provided Quex Ramsgate Recuperation Rehabilitation Related Responsible Southampton Stretcher Thanet Voluntary Wards Wheeled

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