Timeline
Within 2 weeks of the outbreak of War the American Women's War Relief fund had been formed and had as its target the creation of a hospital for British and Commonwealth wounded soldiers at Oldway House in Paignton, thanks to the generosity of Mr & Mrs Paris Singer. This timeline traces all the events at Oldway from its opening to its closure in March 1919.
Great Britain declares War on Germany 4 August 1914
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The American Women's War Relief Hospital open for visitors 10 September 1914
"The American Womens' War Relief Hospital open for visitors between the hours of 3 pm and 4.30 pm daily, until patients arrive" Read moreBattle of Mons 23 August 1914
Read moreFirst contingent of wounded soldiers arrive at Oldway 27 September 1914
150 wounded arrive on Sunday 27 August at 19.30, 30 of these "cot cases" which had to be stretchered. Read moreSecond contingent of wounded soldiers arrive at Oldway 16 October 1914
125 wounded arrive by train, about 30 of these "cot cases" Read moreFirst battle of Ypres begins 19 October 1914
First battle of Ypres ends 22 November 1914 Read more
Her Majesty Queen Mary visits the hospital 12 November 1914
A measure of how well connected the American Women's War Relief Committee was is the very early private visit of Queen Mary to Oldway Read moreArrival of wounded at Oldway 12 December 1914
84 wounded soldiers arrived by ambulance train for Oldway Hospital. Of these 32 were cot cases. Read moreChristmas at Oldway 25 December 1914
Cheer for the Wounded at the Hospital Read moreA hundred soldiers arrive for Oldway 4 January 1915
Late on Monday night a hundred wounded soldiers arrived at Paignton for Oldway. Forty cot cases were among the hundred. Read moreA hundred sick and wounded arrive at Paignton 4 February 1915
On Thursday afternoon a hundred sick and wounded soldiers from the front arrived at Paignton Station by an ambulance train. Read moreThe death at Oldway of Pte. William Hackett of the Royal North Lancashire Regt. on 7 February 1915
The death took place at Oldway on 7th February of Pte. William Hackett Read moreMore wounded arrive at Oldway 14 February 1915
86 wounded, 40 were cot cases and 46 were able to walk Read moreUpwards of one hundred wounded arrive 22 February
There were many cases of frost bite among the soldiers admitted Read moreBattle of Neuve Chapelle begins - 10 March 1915
Battle ends 13 March 1915 Read more90 more soldiers arrive at Oldway 11 March 1915
Fifty-nine were cot cases Read morePte. Conrad Thomas Bedford dies at Oldway Hospital 22 March 1915
Funeral takes place at Paignton cemetery with military honours. Read moreSt George's Ward completed and ready for use 30 March 1915
St George's ward occupied the Rotunda. Read more86 wounded soldiers arrive 30 March 1915
37 being cot and 51 walking cases. Most of the wounded came from the Neuve Chapelle district Read moreWooden Church erected for patients in front of the Rotunda - 1 April 1915
Read moreSecond battle of Ypres begins 22 April 1915 - first use of chlorine gas
Capture of Hill 60 near Ypres 17 April 1915. Second battle of Ypres ends 25 May 1915 Read moreArrival of a hundred wounded 24 April 1915
Wounded at Neuve Chapelle, Hill 60 and Ypres. Wounds to arms and legs were common, one or two having sustained shattered arms. Read moreAllied landings at Gallipoli - 25 April 1915
Read moreMatinee fundraising for AWWH - concert arranged by Lady (Arthur) Paget at Drury Lane Theatre 27 April 1915
a massive £41,000 raised for the Oldway Hospital Read moreWounded Canadian soldiers arrive at Oldway 1 May 1915
78 arrive (including 30 cot cases), reference to use of poison gas - wounded from Ypres Read more36 more wounded arrive at Oldway 26 May 1915
Of these twenty are cot cases, reached the hospital on Wednesday Read moreGetrude Fletcher, Matron, leaves 27 May 1915
Miss Bridmore is the new matron. Read moreDeath at Oldway of Private Thomas Reed, of the 2nd Manchesters 23 May 1915
Private Thomas Reed, died Sunday May 23rd 1915, aged 33 Read more89 wounded soldiers arrived at Paignton for Oldway Hospital on the evening of Tuesday 1 June 1915
40 of these are cot cases. Some of these men were gassed Read moreRed Cross train brings 86 men to Oldway 27 June 1915
Read more161 patients in the hospital, 61 spaces available for patients 8 July 1915
Read more121 patients with 101 vacant beds at Oldway Hospital as at 15 July 1915
Read more93 wounded arrive for Oldway Friday 30 July 1915
73 cot and 20 walking cases Read moreAmerican Red Cross announce withdrawal of their staff in Europe by 1 October - 26 August 1915
Oldway to close? Read moreAttempted break out from Anzac Cove to capture nearby heights - 6 August 1915
Gallipoli campaign Read more122 Wounded from Gallipoli arrive - 26 August 1915
122 wounded British soldiers of the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. These came direct from the Dardanelles and included 40 New Zealanders, 17 of whom were cot cases. 82 were British soldiers, 36 being cot and 46 walking cases making in all a total of 53 cot and 69 walking patients. Read moreBattle of Loos begins - 25 September 1915
Battle of Loos ends 8 October 1915 - British army use poison gas for the first time Read moreOldway has been full for the last 3 weeks, all 230 beds occupied - 30 September 1915
Read moreTrooper James Hughes, of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, dies at the age of 32 on 17 October 1915
After six week’s illness, Trooper James Hughes, of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, died at Oldway Hospital on Sunday at the age of 32. Read moreLance-Corpl. Thomas Fidler, 4th South Wales Borderers, died at Oldway Hospital on Friday 5 November
Lance-Corpl. Thomas Fidler, 4th South Wales Borderers, died at Oldway Hospital on Friday last at the age of 33. He was a native of Glamorgan. Read more70 wounded soldiers to Paignton for Oldway 27 November 1915
Of the 70 arriving, 45 were walking cases and 25 cot. First reference to "trench foot" Read moreChristmas in Paignton - 25 December 1915
The patients at Oldway Hospital had a right royal Christmas Read more124 wounded warriors arrive for Oldway - 19 February 1916
124 wounded of which 58 cot cases. Oldway now almost full Read more86 wounded arrive for Oldway Monday 13 March 1916
58 walking and 28 cot cases Read more30 March 1916 - 96 patients in total at Oldway
96 patients many of which are rapidly recovering Read more91 wounded soldiers arrived at Paignton for Oldway - Friday 7 April 1916
45 cot and 46 walking cases. Read more84 wounded for Oldway - 21 April 1916
44 sit up cases and 40 cot. Read moreBritish Summer Time introduced - 21 May 1916
British Summer Time introduced as a "daylight saving measure" Read moreDeath of Pte. Arthur Gilbey, 7th Suffolk Regt., of Soham, Cambridgeshire, at Oldway - Saturday 29 April 1916
Death of Pte. Arthur Gilbey, 7th Suffolk Regt., aged 20. Read more70 wounded arrive for Oldway - Sunday 7 May 1916
Of these 32 cot cases. Some suffering gas poisoning Read moreLargest ever convoy of wounded, 156 soldiers for Oldway - 12 June 1916
156 wounded of which 60 are cot cases. Most patients from clearing hospitals in France and nearly recovered already Read moreVisit to Oldway Hospital by Sir Federick Milner - 17 June 1916
Royal Message to the Wounded Read moreThe Battle of the Somme begins - 1 July 1916
Battle of the Somme officially ends 18 November 1916 Read more100 wounded arrive for Oldway - 3 July 1916
Read more51 wounded arrive from France - 13 July 1916
51 wounded arrive - 33 walking cases. Some wounded early in the "great push" - The Battle of the Somme. Hospital capacity increased temporarily to 255 (25 additional beds) Read more91 wounded arrive for Oldway - 22 July 1916
91 wounded or which 40 were cot. Read moreThe Battle of Pozières Ridge, Somme - 23 July - 3 September 1916
including the fight for Mouquet farm Read moreDeath of Pte. F. Parrott, 17th Manchester Regt. at Oldway - 27 July 1916
Frederick Parrott, died 27th July, 1916, aged 19 years Read moreConvoy of 56 cot cases arrive for Oldway - 19 August 1916
Read moreBattle of Guillemont, Somme, 3-6 September 1916
Read more78 wounded for Oldway - 2 September 1916
78 wounded of which 30 were cot cases Read moreBattle of Flers-Courcelette 15 September 1916
Tanks were used for the first time here - know in diaries as "Sugar refinery near Albert, Somme" Read more44 wounded arrive from Southampton - 15 September 1916
all 44 cot cases Read more60 wounded arrive - 29 September 1916
60 wounded of which 20 are cot cases Read more111 arrive at Oldway - 7 November 1916
Hospital now full - 111 wounded of which 75 are cot cases Read moreChristmas at Oldway - 25 December 1916
Read moreDeath of Pte. Brooke-Smith at Oldway - 25 January 1917
Read more95 wounded arrive for Oldway Hospital - 4 February 1917
95 wounded of which 80 are cot cases. Many suffering from trench feet. Read more38 wounded arrive for Oldway - 11 March 1917
all 38 are cot cases Read moreUnited States declares War on Germany - 6 April 1917
Read moreBattle of Arras begins 9 April 1917
Battle of Arrass ends 15 May 1917 Read more52 wounded arrive for Oldway - 19 May 1917
52 arrive - hospital is now again practically full Read moreBattle of Messines Ridge - 7 June 1917
Messines Ridge, near Ypres, battle lasts until 14 June 1917 Read more111 wounded arrive at Oldway - 14 June 1917
71 wounded and 40 cot cases. Read moreAmerican Expeditionary Force under General Pershing lands in France - 24 June 1917
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