Nine hospital patients in Winter Garden, Quex Park

Nine hospital patients sitting in the Winter Garden at Quex Park. The Winter Garden was a large conservatory which stood between the drawing room of Quex House and the buildings of the Powell-Cotton Museum, linking the two. During the First World War it served as the VAD Hospital Mess. The men are all wearing the hospital patient's uniform of hospital blues, which was blue serge jacket and trousers. Several men are smoking cigarettes. Most of the men are wearing carpet slippers. These were made for VAD Hospitals by local War Supply Depots, for the men to use indoors. 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

Brichington Commandant Conservatory Depots Detachment Hospitals Linking Mess Organising Patients Percy Quex Recuperation Rehabilitation Responsible Serge Slippers Thanet Voluntary

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