Scottish Women's Hospital At Royaumont
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The Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont was a medical hospital during World War I active from January 1915 to March 1919 operated by
Scottish Women's Hospitals The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Services (SWH) was founded in 1914. It was led by Dr Elsie Inglis and provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies. By the end of World War I, 14 medical units had been outfitted and ...
(SWH), under the direction of the
French Red Cross The French Red Cross (), or the CRF, is the national Red Cross Society in France founded in 1864 and originally known as the ''Société française de secours aux blessés militaires'' (SSBM). Recognized as a public utility since 1945, the Frenc ...
and located at
Royaumont Abbey Royaumont Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey, located near Asnières-sur-Oise in Val-d'Oise, approximately 30 km north of Paris, France. History It was built between 1228 and 1235 with the support of Louis IX. A proclamation by Louis IX s ...
. The Abbey is a former
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
abbey, located near
Asnières-sur-Oise Asnières-sur-Oise (; literally "Asnières on Oise") is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. The 13th–18th century Royaumont Abbey is located in the commune. Population Twin towns * Cutigliano, Ital ...
in
Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.< ...
, approximately 30 km north of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The hospital was started by Dr
Frances Ivens Mary Hannah Frances Ivens Order of the British Empire, CBE FRCOG (1870 – 6 February 1944) was an obstetrician and gynaecologist who was the first woman appointed to a hospital consultant post in Liverpool. During the First World War she was c ...
and founder of SWH, Dr Elsie Maud Inglis. It was especially noted for its performance treating soldiers involved in the
Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
. The hospital was officially known as the Hôpital Auxiliaire 301 and was never affiliated with the British military or British Red Cross. Nora Neilson Gray's painting was called ''Hôpital Auxiliaire 1918'' was not originally accepted by the
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
. The soldiers treated at Royaumont were mostly French with some Senegalese and North Africans from the
French colonial troops The ''Troupes coloniales'' (, "Colonial Troops") or ''Armée coloniale'' (,"Colonial Army"), commonly called ''La Coloniale'', were the colonial troops of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900, these troops wer ...
. It was not the only facility of its kind; other female hospital units in France include the Women's Hospital Corps established by
Louisa Garrett Anderson Louisa Garrett Anderson (28 July 1873 – 15 November 1943) was a medical pioneer, a member of the Women's Social and Political Union, a suffragette, and social reformer. She was the daughter of the founding medical pioneer Elizabeth Garrett A ...
and
Flora Murray Flora Murray (8 May 1869 – 28 July 1923) was a Scottish medical pioneer, and a member of the Women's Social and Political Union suffragettes. From 1914 to the end of her life, she lived with her partner and fellow doctor Louisa Garrett Ande ...
and the Women's Imperial Service League established by
Florence Stoney Florence Ada Stoney (4 February 1870 – 7 October 1932) was an Irish people, Irish physician who was the first female radiology, radiologist in the United Kingdom. During World War I she served abroad as head of the X-ray department and of sta ...
in Paris and Boulogne, but SWH was the largest such group with other locations in Serbia, Greece, Romania, and Corsica. Royaumont was the largest British voluntary hospital, one of the closest such hospitals to the front line, and the only one to operate continuously from January 1915 to March 1919. An ancillary hospital to Royaumont was established even closer to the front line-at
Villers-Cotterêts Villers-Cotterêts () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, France. It is notable as the signing-place in 1539 of the '' Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts'' discontinuing the use of Latin in official French documents, and as ...
.


Beginnings

The SWH initially organized two units of 100 beds each to be entirely staffed by women partially funded by the affiliated
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In March 1919 it w ...
. The UK War Office and the
British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society () is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with 1 ...
turned down the offered units and the women turned to the French and Belgian
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
. The Vicomtesse de la Panouse, wife of the French military attaché to the French embassy in London, helped the group identify Royaumont Abbey, the property of . Goüin was a rich industrialist and philanthropist whose poor health rendered him unable to fight and offering the use of the facility was to be part of his contribution to the war.Weiner, M-F. "The Scottish Women’s Hospital at Royaumont", J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2014; 44: 328–36 Although the facility was not ready to be used as a hospital, Dr. Ivens was very happy with the location, writing in 1917: "Although within sounds of the guns, its architectural beauty and the forest scenery in the neighbourhood made it an ideal spot in which the wounded soldiers could forget for a time the horrors and discomfort of war," When wards were overfilled, patients were occasionally carted outdoors between May and October. Noticing that patients so placed recovered more quickly, doctors later accommodated patients outside to increase exposure to sunlight.


Facilities

Patients generally arrived from the Western Front by train to the evacuation station in
Creil Creil () is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France. The Creil station is an important railway junction. History Archaeological remains in the area include a Neolithic site as well as a late ...
(12 km away). There was no possibility of transferring patients to other nearby hospitals and patient load was occasionally extreme. During the
Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
, the surgeons and doctors worked for eight days with a total of only 16 hours of sleep. Conditions at the facility were occasionally insufficient and the hospital failed an initial inspection before opening on 13 January 1915. Electricity was at times intermittent and in case of an outage surgeries were performed by candlelight.


Research

Doctors at Royaumont also undertook cutting-edge research, focusing on the treatment of gas
gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
. The doctors found X-ray and bacteriology for diagnosis and
surgical debridement Debridement is the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Removal may be surgical, mechanical, chemical, autolytic (self-digestion), or by maggot therapy. In p ...
of affected tissue and
antiserum In immunology, antiserum is a blood serum containing antibodies (either monoclonal or polyclonal) that is used to spread passive immunity to many diseases via blood donation ( plasmapheresis). For example, convalescent serum, or passive ant ...
therapy to be especially effective. Doctors at the facility believed the collaboration of different specialties was important in fighting infection and avoiding excess amputations. The hospital had a mobile X-ray car manufactured by Austins and purchased for £300. Installation of the X-ray equipment was assisted by
Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...
and included water and electrical sources independent of the rest of the facility. The X-ray car was highly coveted; other hospitals in the area occasionally used it and the British military attempted to impound and keep the car for itself. In spite of their work, Dr. Ivans was restricted in her ability to publish and present her results. In 1918 she had to obtain permission from General
Célestin Sieur Célestin Sieur ( La Chapelle-en-Lafaye, 27 December 1860 – Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 resid ...
of the French military medical services to publish her results, and she was not allowed to present her work directly to the , her work being instead presented by a third party. Doctors at the Scottish Hospital at Royaumont made numerous important discoveries, although their contribution was not always acknowledged and their work required rediscovery. Dr Agnes Savill presented to the
Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...
in 1916 her work in the use of X-rays to diagnose the presence of gas gangrene infection before the bacteriological reports could and before the advent of symptoms. This work was not widely accepted and in 1917 she expressed a desire that other radiologists consider this work to confirm her conclusions. Dr. Ivens presented on a similar topic and both Dr. Ivens and Dr. Savill's presentations were reviewed in the
British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...
. In related work, Dr E. J. Dalyell published in the ''British Medical Journal'' in 1917 about the presence of ''B. oedematiens'' in gas gangrene. Subsequent work on the use of X-ray for the diagnosis of gas gangrene do not refer to the work of SMH doctors. Among other work, Dr L.M. Henry wrote an MD thesis on the treatment of wounds that she presented in 1920.


Reception

Accounts vary as to the reception of women doctors, but before the war, the French Red Cross organization, the , claimed that Germany was victorious in the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
in 1870 in part through the use of ‘feminine hands’. Mme Marie-Christine Daudy, daughter of , stated that while her father admired the female doctors, French politicians and military personalities who visited the hospital were initially less enthusiastic about their work. Among official recognition,
Maréchal Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for re ...
visited the hospital and twice sent a representative, Lt Colonel Rampsont, on his behalf. The French president,
Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. He was a conservative leader, primarily committed to ...
and his wife visited on 20 September 1916. In 1918, General Henri Jean Descoings wrote: "We will never be able to express adequately to the Scottish ladies at Royaumont and Villers Cotterêt our gratitude for their devotion to the French wounded’. Villers Cotterêt was a field ambulance established by the Royaumont doctors in 1917. The Comtesse de Courson, in her review of efforts during the war, also believed there was initially French resistance to female doctors, but that the doctors were well qualified and respected. Female medical students in the UK raised money for the SWH and positions in the organization were desired. The group was also supported by, for instance, Dr
Louisa Garrett Anderson Louisa Garrett Anderson (28 July 1873 – 15 November 1943) was a medical pioneer, a member of the Women's Social and Political Union, a suffragette, and social reformer. She was the daughter of the founding medical pioneer Elizabeth Garrett A ...
(daughter of
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
, pioneer of medical education for women, a suffragette and Chief Surgeon of the Women's Hospital Corps).


Legacy

After the war the Chief Medical Officer, Dr
Frances Ivens Mary Hannah Frances Ivens Order of the British Empire, CBE FRCOG (1870 – 6 February 1944) was an obstetrician and gynaecologist who was the first woman appointed to a hospital consultant post in Liverpool. During the First World War she was c ...
CBE MS(Lond) ChM(Liverp) FRGOG (1870–1944), was awarded membership of the
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. In spite of this support, Dr Ivens could not obtain a commission as a doctor in the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. While by the end of the war she gained a formal appointment within the French military; besides her own decoration, six other Royaumont doctors were awarded the
Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
; however there is no mention of the hospital in the British Official Medical History of the War and no British medals were given to the staff.
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
praised their work in a letter to the MP A. F. Whyte: "The record of their work in
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and
Rumania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea t ...
lit up by the fame of Elsie Inglis will shine in history. Their achievements in France and
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and
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and other theatres were no less valuable, and no body of women has won higher reputation for organizing power and for efficacy in works of mercy." Many of the doctors left general practice after the war. An exception was Dr L. Aldrich-Blake who worked in obstetrics and gynaecology. The women established the Royaumont Association after the unit disbanded in 1919 and there was an attempt to establish another SWH unit at Royaumont at the onset of World War II, but this failed.


List of hospital staff


Doctors

*Dr
Louisa Aldrich-Blake Dame Louisa Brandreth Aldrich-Blake (15 August 1865 – 28 December 1925) was a pioneering surgeon and one of the first British women to enter the world of modern medicine. Born in Chingford, Essex, she was the eldest daughter of a curate. L ...
- surgeon (later worked in obstetrics and gynaecology) *Dr Agnes Forbes Blackadder Savill - Radiologist *Dr Elizabeth Butler - Pathologist (wife of Frederick Butler)"Scottish Women's Hospitals, A-Z of Personnel" accessed on 13 October 2015: http://scottishwomenshospitals.co.uk/women/ *Dr Elizabeth Courtauld - anaesthetist *Dr Elsie Jean Dalyell *Dr Lydia Manly Henry - Surgeon *Dr Elsie Maud Inglis *Dr Florence Elsie Inglis - Niece of Elsie Maud Inglis *Dr
Frances Ivens Mary Hannah Frances Ivens Order of the British Empire, CBE FRCOG (1870 – 6 February 1944) was an obstetrician and gynaecologist who was the first woman appointed to a hospital consultant post in Liverpool. During the First World War she was c ...
- Chief Medical Officer in Charge of Royaumont *Dr Helen Lillie - Surgeon *Dr Louisa Martindale - Also worked at other SWH facilities *Dr Helen McDougall *Dr Ruth Nicholson - Assistant surgeon *Dr Gladys Miall-Smith *Dr Winifred Margaret Ross - surgeon *Dr Marian Elizabeth Wilson - died July 1917 of acute appendicitis


Other staff

Transcriptions of the names of nurses involved with the Scottish Women's Hospitals taken from original lists held at the
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
originally published in early 1920 are available at "''Scarletfinders: Scottish Women's Hospitals Index of Names''". A complete list in also available online. A selection of individuals is listed below. *Charlotte Almond - Orderly * Millicent Sylvia Armstrong - Orderly *Isobel Dorothy Banks - Ambulance Driver *Gertude Beckett - Nurse *Frederick Butler - Ambulance Driver *Lucy Helen Carmichael - Orderly * Marjorie Chapman - Nurse LI *Elizabeth Colledge * Vera Christina Chute Collum - X-ray assistant *Patricia Ramsay Crabb - Nurse * Margaret Charlotte Davidson - Orderly then Nurse *Margaret Balfour Doig - Nurse *Alma Dolling - Orderly *Ruby Jamieson Donaldson - Orderly *Chloris Sarah Drabble - Nurse *Ariadne Mavis Dunderdale - Nurse *Margaret Fairle - Orderly *Catherine Maggie Findlay - Cook *Isabel Kelman Flett - Nurse *Elizabeth Forbes - Orderly and Storekeeper *Madame Fox - Seamstress *Elizabeth Gilmour Manuel Arthur - Orderly *Mary Gray - Nurse (died at Royaumont of appendicitis in January 1916) *Margaret Gray *
Norah Neilson Gray Norah Neilson Gray (16 June 1882 – 27 May 1931) was a Scottish artist of the Glasgow School. She first exhibited at the Royal Academy while still a student and then showed works regularly at the Paris Salon and with the Royal Academy of Scotl ...
- Nurse * Edith Catherine Hacon - Orderly, Housekeeper, and Seamstress *Cecily Hamilton - Nurse, clerk * Katherine Harley - Administrator * Evelina Haverfield - Also worked at other SWH facilities *Etta Helen Maude Inglis - Orderly, Nurse, sister of Florence Elsie Inglis, niece of Elsie Maud Ingles *Violet Inglis - Orderly, sister of Florence Elsie Inglis, niece of Elsie Maud Ingles *Mabel Effie Jeffery - Nurse *Anna George Kreil - Orderly *Isa Andrews Larnoch - Nurse *Mary Crockatt Leuchars - Orderly *Jean Marjorie Lindsay - Orderly *Dorothy Littlejohn - Cook *Jessie MacPherson - Cook *Elizabeth Forbes MacPherson - Orderly and Storekeeper *Jean Forbes MacPherson - Cook *Agnes Williamina Manson - Orderly *Eveline Christiana Martin - Clerk *Eunice Jean McGregor - Ambulance driver *Florence Cecilia Moffat - Orderly, Physiotherapist *Alison May Nicholson - Orderly, sister of Ruth Nicholson *Margaret Nicolson - Nurse *Catherine Bride O'Rorke - Nurse, awarded by the French Government the
Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' (, "Military Medal") is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...
*Winifred Parry - Nurse *M. A. Prys-Owen - Nurse *Norah Quihampton - Nurse * Ishobel Ross - Also worked at other SWH facilities *Ruth Scott - Orderly *Madge Ramsay Smith - Secretary and Administrator *Marjorie Starr - Orderly *Nettie Stein - Orderly *Jean Thom - Nurse *Mary Moir Trail - Orderly *Maude Evelyn Waddle - Orderly *Beatrice Victoria Warr - Nurse *Dulcie Mary White - Nurse *Irene Mildred Whittet - Nurse *Theodora Williamson - Orderly *Maud Winstanly - Nurse, Matron *Florence Stanley Winter - Nurse


Further Information

A group photograph (with names) of Royaumont staff can be seen here https://archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-collections/scottish-womens-hospitals-for-foreign-service/scottish-womens-hospitals-at-royaumont-france/1342699-group-photograph-of-royaumont-staff?


References


External links

* Scarletfinders: Scottish Women's Hospitals Index of Names http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/138.html * List of names (subscription site) preview online https://www.scribd.com/doc/254467686/Untitled {{authority control Military hospitals in France Military medical organizations France in World War I United Kingdom in World War I * Voluntary hospitals Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service