22 replies to this topic

[Brainy Smurf]

Hi

I'm looking for information about the 51st Stationary Hospital in Genoa.  My great uncle died there in November 1918, of influenza.  

Does anyone know whereabouts in Genoa the hospital was situated, and whether it was an actual building or like an outdoor camp ?  Any photos ?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Claire

[kibe]

Ciao, I'm from Genoa.
I knew that 51st Stationary Hospital was in Italy, but I didn't know that it was in Genoa.
Sorry, but my investigation about it is been unsuccessfull.
There are two big old hospitals in Genoa: "Galliera Hospital"  and "San Martino Hospital", maybe the 51st S.H. was there, I'll be look for informations.
There are also a big cemetery in Genoa (Staglieno), if you give me the name of your great uncle I can look for his grave and send to you some pics, if he's there...
There is another possibility...near Genoa, In Arquata Scrivia, from 1917 to 1920, there was a big base aera, his name was "Vaje camp" with his little military cemetery; I have a list with the name of all british soldiers buried there...
...at the moment it's all...
regards
Achille

Brainy Smurf, on 20 July 2011 - 02:10 PM, said:

Hi

I'm looking for information about the 51st Stationary Hospital in Genoa.  My great uncle died there in November 1918, of influenza.  

Does anyone know whereabouts in Genoa the hospital was situated, and whether it was an actual building or like an outdoor camp ?  Any photos ?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Claire

[Brainy Smurf]

Hi AchilleMy great uncle's name was Benjamin W. Buss, and he was 42135 L/Bombardier with the Royal Garrison Artillery.  His death certificate says he died at "51 Stationary Hospital, Genoa, Italy".  Yes please check whether the 51st was one of the two big hospitals that you mentioned in Genoa.Your offer of a pic of my great uncle's grave is very kind.  He is buried at Staglieno Cemetery, in Plot 1, row D32.Many thanksClaire

[kibe]

Ciao Claire,
yesterday in the morning I went to the Staglieno Cemetery but I found this...

I'll turn there in september, after my holidays on Asiago Plateau, and I hope with news about 51st Stationary Hospital

Attached Files

•  staglieno2.JPG   67.34K   2 downloads

[BJay]

No 51 Stationary Hospital arrived in Genoa on 3rd January 1918 but was divided into 3 sections.  Two were opened in Genoa and the third (B Section) opened in Arquata - in a disused wine factory.  I am having problems locating A and C Sections but one of these was opened for local sick and the other for infectious diseases.  I am guessing the latter would be where Claire's great uncle would have been treated.

Has anyone heard of the Revasco Military Hospital and/or Via Cassaira?

Thanks

Barbara

[Heid the Ba']

Barbara

There is a Via Eugenia Ravasco in Genoa, slightly different spelling, but might be connected.

[Brainy Smurf]

kibe, on 25 July 2011 - 02:12 PM, said:

Ciao Claire,
yesterday in the morning I went to the Staglieno Cemetery but I found this...

I'll turn there in september, after my holidays on Asiago Plateau, and I hope with news about 51st Stationary Hospital

Hi Achille

Many, many thanks for going to Staglieno Cemetery - I'm so sorry that you found it closed for restoration.  Do enjoy your holidays on Asiago Plateau.  I look forward to hearing from you later on in September.

Regards, Claire

[Brainy Smurf]

BJay, on 26 July 2011 - 10:42 PM, said:

No 51 Stationary Hospital arrived in Genoa on 3rd January 1918 but was divided into 3 sections.  Two were opened in Genoa and the third (B Section) opened in Arquata - in a disused wine factory.  I am having problems locating A and C Sections but one of these was opened for local sick and the other for infectious diseases.  I am guessing the latter would be where Claire's great uncle would have been treated.

Has anyone heard of the Revasco Military Hospital and/or Via Cassaira?

Thanks

Barbara

Hi Barbara,

This information about 51 Stationary Hospital sounds interesting.  Look forward to hearing more from you.

Regards

Claire

[Sue Light]

I've got an account written by a nurse in Italy on my website - it doesn't actually name all the hospitals, but one of them must have been 51 Stationary, and it does give some idea of what life was like out there during the second half of the war.

http://www.scarletfi....co.uk/153.html

Sue

[kibe]

...heid the Ba' is in right, Via Ravasco exists in Genoa, it's near my home...but now there isn't a hospital there...
I didn't find Via Cassaira...are you sure for this name? Where did you find it? maybe "ir" could be "n" or "m"...have you the original written document?

regards
Achille

[kibe]

Thank you very much, Sue...new informations about work on....

[kibe]

WOW!!! Hotel Miramare!!!
...at the end of 1916 this hotel became a military hospital with about 500 patients, in 1918 it also became headquarters of 332° U.S.A infantry regiment.
In 1920 it turn to be a hotel and now residential flats.
I'm not sure that Miramare Hotel could be one of the sections of 51st Stationary Hospital, but this can be a reasonable possibility...


...scuse for my english again....

regards
Achille

Attached Files

•  Genova-Hotel_Miramare_a_Piazza_Principe.jpg   87.8K   0 downloads

[BJay]

Achille

I found 'Via Cassaira' mentioned in the war diary, on 18/1/18 it states "Personnel of 51 Stationary Hospital took over billets in Via Cassaira"   I have photographs of part of the diary but not that page because I usually only take pictures of pages with RAMC personnel mentioned for my RAMC database.  I remember it was written in capitals but I may have copied it wrongly.  I can check it and get a copy when I am at the National Archive again if it will help.  The war diary definitely states "Revasco Military Hospital" - I have a copy of that page and can send it to you if it will help.  Is it likely that the name might have changed slightly through time? or maybe the officer wrote the name wrong in the war diary!



Sue

Dorothea Matilda Taylor says "There was one General and two Stationary Hospitals at Genoa." and it looks as if she was referring to No 11 General Hospital, and No 38 and 51 Stationary Hospitals.  She also wrote "Later on we had an Infectious Hospital at Genoa" so that must have been one of the sections of 51 S.H.  A little extra information there about the hospital in Arquata being close to the railway line as well - I love this when different sources come together.


I've checked through some of the personal accounts I have but so far they have been about the field ambulances.  I will check some more and if I find anything more on 51 S.H. I will let you all know.


Barbara

[Heid the Ba']

kibe

Good find, there is a good chance that is one of the hospitals.

And don't worry about your english, it is vary clear.

Is the Arquata mentioned Arquata Scrivia to the north(ish) of Genoa?

Ciao.

[kibe]

@BJay

...unfortunately I don't find "Via Cassaira"...surely there is a mistake,it never existed, probably is wrongly written...I'll study for a similar name.

..."Revasco" surely is "Ravasco"..there is a street with this name and...there is an old school....maybe....maybe....I'll go to take informations and pics there, but  in september.


@Heid the Ba'

Yes, the Arquata mentioned is Arquata Scrivia to the north of Genoa, this is the hospital (it's not a very clear pic):

Attached Files

•  ospedale gb arquata ok 40.JPG   83.98K   0 downloads

[Brainy Smurf]

Many thanks to everyone for their contributions about the 51st Stationary Hospital.  I can't keep up with all this info!!

Sue - I read your nurse's account with much interest.  

Nurse D M Taylor wrote that "there was one general hospital and two stationary hospitals in Genoa.  The first in a large hotel, the others in schools".

So, perhaps the general hospital was in the large hotel - the Hotel Miramare that Achille mentions ?  And maybe the two stationary hospitals were in schools - with the 51st being based at Ravasco (the old school that Achille mentions) ?  

Barbara mentions that the 51st was divided into 3 sections - B section being Arquata (the old wine factory), and the other two sections being Ravasco (the school) and Via Cassaira (maybe).  

Therefore is it correct to assume that the infectious hospital was most probably at one of the latter two locations ?

Achille - Thanks for the interesting old photos

Claire

[regia marina]

Hallo All,
I' m new on the forum. I too I'm from Genoa and furthermore i work in hospital. I'll look if I can reach some date from Archives of Galliera Hospital that are very large and other source. Achille posted a nice pics of Hatel Miramare, this place was for many time converted to military use, i.e. during WWII was the main comand of German Force.
Also 11 th Australian Hospital and 38 th was located in Genoa..may by in scool or Hotels..at the time not much was requestet to make an Hospital..
Excuse my for my english, I hope to have some news for you.
Regards giacomo

[Brainy Smurf]

Hi Giacomo

That's interesting to know that Hotel Miramare was also used for the military during WWII.

Your english is fine -  I hope to hear more from you, after you search the Archives of Galliera Hospital.  Hopefully they might reveal something about 51st Stationary Hospital.

Regards

Claire

[regia marina]

I search about Galliera Hospital during World War I and there is not pat of use by allied armed force. A part of the Hospital was used by Italian Army for wounded or invalided soldier, but italian use only. There was another big military hospital in Genoa the Chiappella Hospital bult near the Lanterna, the famouse ancient lighthouse symbol of the city of Genoa and of his secolar trade on sea. Chiappella Hopital (now nothing remain of it) was bult in a former Army Barrack, former monastery. In this hospital was operated my granfather wounded at ab ankle at Vittorio Veneto, late in war.
Also in this hospital no allied presence...San Martino Hospital that took place of former Pammatone Hospital was in bulding and only some pavillon were in service, but not with Army.
This is the first result of mu search, quite unsatysfacting, but I'll try again..

Regards giacomo

[RichardC]

Fascinating thread - thanks to all for posting. I thought this might be of interest - its the medical report into the death of 16517 Lance Corporal Sidney John Biles, 54th Field Company, Royal Engineers, who succumbed to influenza at the 51st Stationary Hospital on 22nd November 1918. The paper clearly shows that he died at "A" Section, which presumably means that this was the hospital for infectious cases. Unfortunately, it doesn't show where "A" Section actually was.

 B.Bi.Bil.2019.jpg   65.17K   1 downloads

[KateH]

Hi there
I know it is a while since there was a posting on this thread but I tried find out more about No. 38 British Stationary Hospital in Genoa. This hospital was taken over by Australian nurses when it was in France and moved with it to Genoa in November 1917 (I think). The Australian Matron was Ethel Sarah Davidson and in her narrative held at the Australian War Memorial she refers to Corso Torino . perhaps this will help identify which hospital was where.

The Australian War Memorial holds two items in its photographic collection relating to Genoa.

http://cas.awm.gov.a...006/002/002/001
(program not available online)
Nurse Helen Keith: ...I was transferred to No. 38 Stationary, in Genoa, Italy... We received patients straight from the line, and they were nearly all Tommies, but later we took in Austrians, who were in a terribly emaciated state, and had terribly [sic] wounds[1].

  cheers
Kirsty
<br clear="all">        [1] AWM 41 1072, Kellett interview No. 54, Miss Helen Keith.

[S D Brown]

My grandfather William P Brown 112552 3/AM RFC/RAF was admitted 08/03/1918 to 51 Stationary Hospital
at Arquata Leiusa. His original casualty card was destroyed so this record is all I have. Can anyone elaborate on the location of this hospital? Thank you. Sharon

[kibe]

The location of the hospital is Arquata Scrivia, there were not other hospitals in 1918 in that place. Probably it is written incorrectly....