大象传媒

Having arrived at the District General Hospital, West Bromwich from Ireland on 30th June 1940, I was very much a new recruit when the hospital was bombed on the night of 19th November 1940.

I was on duty that evening when the bombing started at 7.30pm and went on relentlessly for the next 8 hours over the town of West Bromwich, with the hospital in its midst.

The initial assault was carried out by means of incendiary bombs which continued to come through the roof of the hospital on to the wards and corridors. We had been given some instructions on how to handle these types of bombs and the procedures for putting them out by the use of sand bags and stirrup pumps. All to be done as quickly as possible to prevent a fire taking hold and spreading around the hospital.

The incendiary bombs were meant to cause fires which would guide following bombers to their targets, dropping high explosive bombs to increase the damage. A number of high explosive bombs were dropped on the hospital which caused considerable damage, cutting off water supplies and filling the hospital full of smoke. A decision had to be make to take patients in the wards down to the air raid shelters situated in the hospital grounds. This is where my nightmare started.

One patient could not be moved to the shelters for medical reasons. I being a junior nurse was allocated the duty of staying with him. We could hear the bombs coming down and exploding all around the hospital for what seemed a life time. The patient was very brave and remained calm in his bed for what seemed to be an eternity.

After some considerable time at this post, another wave of bombers came over, their bombs blew out what remained of the windows and parts of the hospital buildings. The decision was then made to evacuate all the patients of Hallam Hospital (now The Sandwell and Dudley Hospital). Outside, the incendiaries had started a number of fires in two of the outer buildings, one was the Hopital Laundry recently re-furbished with new laundry equipment. The roof of the swimming baths was well and truly burning fiercly causing two large fires to be burning on two sides of a set of railway lines, leaving only one route for possible evacuation of the patients. This was also later subjected to a bomb. Staff had, however, managed to clear a route of debris for an escape to Hallam Hosptal. At about 3am we were on our way to the safety of Hallam where we felt we were in paradise, escaping from the heat of the bazing inferno of the town of West Bromwich.

We had a wonderful Matron, Miss Thomas. She was a fine disciplinarian and instilled in all her staff a deep sense of duty which stood everybody in good stead during that dreadful night. Matron was awarded the George Medal.

Each member of staff was given a Commendation as an appreciation of their devotion to duty on that dreadful night. The words of that Commendation are as follows:

---------
WEST BROMWICH AND DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL
6th December, 1940

At a full meeting of the Council of Management held on the 2nd December, 1940, it was unanimously resolved to place on record the feelings of profound admiration and pride with which the members had received the details of the magnificent courage, ability and team spirit shown by every single member of the Staff in dealing with the serious enemy air raid on the night of the 19th November 1940.

The Council of Management fully realize that the evacuation of the 91 patients without loss of life, and the prevention of total demolition of the Hospital by fire, was entirely due to the almost incredible bravery, devotion and disipline of all concerned.

PRESIDENT

-------

I hope you find this remembrance of that night of terror of interest.

Delia Lowndes
Nee McDonagh

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.