Studio photo of Oscar Van Audenhove

Studio photograph of Oscar Van Audenhove in Belgian military uniform and wearing two medals. This photograph was sent to Major and Mrs Powell-Cotton in April 1916 byOscar 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. Oscar Van Audenhove came from Ghent. Previous to coming to Quex Park he had been in the First Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge. 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. This photograph was accompanied by a letter saying how much he would have liked to come to Quex Park to show Major and Mrs Powell-Cotton his medals. 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 Ghent Guerre Liked Lived Patients Percy Previous Quex Recuperation Rehabilitation Returned Saying Serve Suffering Survives Untouched Voluntary Wound

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