War Weapons Week, Birchington
This photograph was taken in The Square, Birchington on 23 May 1918. The Square is the junction of Canterbury Road and Station Road in Birchington, adjacent to All Saints Church. This day, Thursday, was the first day of a three day event War Weapons Week to raise money by the sale of bonds and savings certificates for the purpose of buying military weapons for the war effort. Thje aim in Birchington was to raise enough money to buy an aeroplane. A crowd, including local women and VAD Hospital patients is watching a man climbing a ladder which is fixed to the side of a structure in the middle of the open space. The structure was a water founctain and drinking trough. The man on the ladder was Major Powell-Cotton of Quex Park. He was climbing the ladder in order to adjust figures on the ladder representing the amount of money raised. This was indicated by hauling up a wounded soldier doll. On the very left of the photograph, in front of the doorway of the building, can be seen the tailplane or a Sopwith aricraft. This attraction was advertised beforehand as an interesting machine of war which must not be described'. It was brought to the event in parts and put together in the street. On the right of the photograph is an open-topped bus with a staircase at the rear. It advertises its route Margate, Westgate, Birchington'. The event raised over 10, 000. 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
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Adjacent Adjust Advertised Advertises Amount Aricraft Beforehand Bonds Brichington Buying Canterbury Certificates Commandant Described Detachment Enough Fixed Hauling Hospitals Indicated Interesting Junction Margate Organising Patients Percy Purpose Quex Raise Recuperation Rehabilitation Related Representing Responsible Savings Sopwith Tailplane Thanet Thursday Topped Trough Voluntary Westgate
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