TOPIC:

Dear All,

There is an amount of confusion surrounding the question of the services of this unit, as the following units existed, and served in South Africa during 1899-1902:

• No. 11 General Hospital, Kimberley - under the command of Lt. Col. M. D. O'Connell, RAMC
• No. 11 Stationary Hospital - under the command of Major D. R. Hamilton, RAMC
• No. 11 Brigade Field Hospital - under the command of Major John Brew Moir, RAMC
• No. 11 Field Hospital (RAMC) - under the command of Lt. Col. D. L. Irvine, RAMC
• No. 11 British Field Hospital - initially under the command of Lt. Col. Sidney Herbert Carter, RAMC, and latterly under the command of Major John Kearney, RAMC

Having drawn almost a complete blank from traditional (to me) sources, I wonder if someone here might have some information on the service of the last-mentioned unit, which was formed in India, included officers from both the RAMC and the ISMD, and served in the Tirah Expedition as well as in South Africa. I understand that "The transport Henzada with No.3 field medical stores depot, No. 11 British field hospital, and Ordnance field park . . . left Calcutta, 20th September (1899) and arrived on October 14th 1899 at Durban." Members of the unit received Queen's South Africa Medals with clasps for the Defence of Ladysmith and Laing's Nek as well as for Belfast, Elandslaagte, Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony and Natal.

Can you help fill out the picture, or suggest sources I might consult? I have recently acquired the medal of Pte. Henry Lane, 1/DCLI, who was a member of this unit, and served with it during the Defence of Ladysmith and the engagement at Laing's Nek.

Hi Mike,

Did you manage to make any progress in finding out about the 11th British Field Hospital? I have just discovered a relative was attached to this hospital so would like to find out more.

thanks.

Hi, James,

Absolutely nothing at all since I posted that five years ago. Imagine my excitement when I received a notification e-mail that someone had replied - and my disappointment when I read the post!

ATB
Mike

Hi Mike,

Sorry for getting your hopes up.

I'm not sure where to start looking for info on the 11th Field Hospital. I've found a few mentions of it via google which I need to follow up.

I'll update here if I find anything of interest.

James.

Please do. It seems to have been very poorly covered in the literature - either that, or I am reading the wrong books! The fact that there were four other No 11 Hospitals in South Africa at the time doesn't help.

ATB
Mike