London & Middlesex Branch: “The No. 10 Stationary Hospital: A Remarkable Unit of Londoners in the First World War”

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Date/Time
Date(s) - December 3, 2022
10:00 am - 11:00 am

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The London & Middlesex Branch invites you to join us on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 10 a.m. for a Zoom presentation with speakers, Paige Milner and Abigail Parsons.

Synopsis:

On April 28, 1916, the Canadian War Office accepted an offer for the creation of a stationary hospital of four-hundred beds – this offer was made by Dr. Edwin Seaborn, backed by Western University. This hospital, named the No. 10 Stationary Hospital, was made up of roughly one hundred and fifty Londoners. Once overseas, the unit treated almost 17 000 allied soldiers between January 1916 and April 1919.

More than one-hundred years later, this noteworthy unit has been largely forgotten by both Western and the greater London community. They deserve to be remembered.

Using the undergraduate exhibit “The No. 10: Western University’s First World War Stationary Hospital,” – which was on display at the J.A. Schweitzer Gallery in Western’s Weldon Library throughout summer 2022 – as a base, this presentation will expand upon the research and copious archival material that made up that exhibit, to detail the life of the No. 10 during the war.

It will explore the remarkable creation of the unit, the cutting-edge medical work and of its doctors and nurses, the daily life of members, as well as the heart-wrenching circumstances surrounding its demobilization. In this presentation, you will meet individual members of the unit as they come alive in stories and photographs; you will be transported to an unrecognizable hospital located near the front lines of France under constant threat of bombing. Finally, this presentation will also touch on the research techniques used and the resources consulted in the development of the earlier exhibit – to help inform those interested in researching histories connected to the First World War.

About the speakers:

Paige Milner

Paige Milner is a fourth-year student at Western completing an Honours Specialization in History. Her historical interests lie in the United Kingdom during the Victorian period – focusing on social and women’s history. She has also always been interested in the First World War, as a result of a familial connection, which is where the impetus for this research and the basis for this presentation stemmed from. In February 2022, Paige presented her essay “Nursing in the British Military Before Florence Nightingale,” at the 25th Annual Student History Conference, hosted by Ball State University. Throughout her final year she will be working on a senior thesis as part of her degree with Public Historian and Western Professor Michelle Hamilton as her supervisor. After completing her undergraduate degree, Paige intends to pursue a Masters degree in Public History – hopefully in the United Kingdom.

Abigail Parsons

Abigail Parsons is a fourth-year student at Western University, completing a Double Major in English Literature and History. Her historical research has led her to explore various global histories, focusing on war history and its societal and cultural impacts. Her further interests in genealogy and archival research helped to lead the original basis for this project towards a physical exhibit, making use of Western University’s vast archival collection. After completing her undergraduate degree, Abigail intends on pursuing a Masters of Library and Information Sciences, with the goal of furthering her work in archives.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend and share this with your friends and family. Registration is required. To register, visit http://bit.ly/LMOA-Dec2022

Once registered, a confirmation email will be sent with the meeting details.