Oscard Van Audenhove at Quex Park 1915

Photograph of a Belgian soldier in civilian clothes, standing near a gate in a fence at Quex Park. On the reverse is written Quex Park, 19 February 1915, Birchington-on-Sea-, Kent. Below is the signature of Oscar Van Audenhove and below that he has written Artist peintre'. The soldier is Oscar Van Audenhove who was a patient at the Quex Park VAD Hospital from 17 December 1914 uyntil 29 March 1915. He was suffering from a leg wound. He is wearing carpet slippers and is leaning his elbow on the metal fence. Oscar Van Audenhove came from Ghent. While he was at Quex Park he painted the background to one of the dioramas that Major Powell-Cotton was creating in a newly built gallery of the Museum. This is now known as Gallery 3; the diorama features animals from Angola. During the War the Gallery served as a hospital ward for 15 patients; it was Ward C. The diorama survives untouched to this day and the artist's signature can be seen on his work. Oscar Van Audenhove returned to active service in Belgium and was wounded again but continued to serve. He was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre and the Order of the Crown. After the War he returned home and lived until the 1950s. 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

Angola Brichington Commandant Continued Creating Croix Detachment Diorama Dioramas Elbow Ghent Guerre Lived Patients Peintre Percy Quex Recuperation Rehabilitation Returned Serve Slippers Suffering Survives Untouched Voluntary Wound

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > POW