Memories

If you have memories of livng, working or just visiting Netley, please email me and I can add them here. Thank you.

 

There is lots to see on my Facebook page too:

Royal Victoria Hospital & Military Cemetery at Netley 

https://www.facebook.com/NetleyCemetery/?view_public_for=747572011986277

 I was prompted to contact you following Michael Portillo's recent programme on train journeys which featured Netley.
My husband Robert John HAYDEN, who was a young soldier during the Suez crisis, was badlyinjured.  He had a badly smashed leg and was flown home to the Military hospital in London, Woolwich I believe - was it called 'the dirty hospital'?  He recalls landing in Stanstead (?) and being transported underground on a sort of wooden trolley on rails - I have not been able to find out anything about this or a possible station location. After 18 months he was moved to the Netley Military Hospital for rehabilitation. He recalls being made to walk and run on the pebbles of the beach to strengthen his damaged leg. He also thought that the elaborate design of the hospital was a mistake and that the original designs were for a hospital in India?  Throughout his life his leg never properly repaired and was always shorter than the other. He did say that a military surgeon re-broke his leg, without anesthetic, because it was not healing.  It did no good except give more pain! Sadly he died a year ago but I do remember well his reminiscences of the
hospital at Netley.

 

From Diana HAYDEN

 

Thank you Diana.

 I saw a program on tv concerning Netley as i was a patient there in 1949 having suffered a severe back injury I knew what it was like, in the hospital I noticed no one had mentioned the dress code for all patients which consisted of a red tie,a white shirt, and blue trousers and tunic.We were given a lot of freebies as long as we had our hospital uniform on, life was good and the nurses did all they could to ease our pain and injury.Iwas in a plaster cast which the girls in Southampton really felt sorry for me  ..

 
julie thanks for your help and I will drop further memories of Netley again.
 
My sincere best regards and thanks
 
Dave WRIGHT
Thank you for getting in touch Dave.

Albert Carter sent me these photos today 29/02/15. He is standing next to the lion statues which were on the front of the hospital. I wonder where they are now?? Thank you.

 

It was a few years ago (1974) my wife and I visited Netley Country Park before it was opened to the public and after the Hospital was demolished . We parked at the entrance gates an walked in to look around the grounds. We were looking around behind a builders hut and found the Lions (As Photo). After this we were sitting on the grass looking out over Southampton water when we were approached by a security guild and told off for trespassing on Government property but he allowed us to stay as I said I was an old convalescent patient back in October 1946. I have always been interested in Netley and looking around on my computer and came across your Web Site I immediately though of my photo of the Hospital Lions. And today In my local library I have come across a good book  (Spike Island by Philip Hoare) I have yet to read.
 
Just a short note to explain my involvement with the Netley Hospital. I had been a patient at Tidworth Military Hospital for a year (Septicaemia) and I was now on the end of my service life, but to no avail I had to be sent to No. 109 Convalescent Depot at Netley Southampton. It was then on by train to the hospital. On arrival you are examined by a medical officer he puts you into the 1st grade and gives you a coloured sash to wear over you shoulder. At  first you just walk around or sit out on the long jetty in the sun. The 2nd week after an examination its a different coloured sash to wear this is a work fatigues grade taking buckets of coal to the officers quarters, sweeping those long corridors, then down to the old Victorian kitchen to wash up mountains of dirty crockery, tepid water coming out of old brass taps with only soda crystals no (Fairy Liquid) in those days. With thick rings of grease up to your elbows. Come the afternoon I was off to the Medical Officer I appealed to him I was told at Tidworth to keep away from all infectious substance's he agreed and said it was a mistake in putting me down there while I was in his office I asked if he would release me back to my unit to be demobilised, he agreed and in a few days I was off to Chester and then to York to be released from the Army November 15th 1946.  
Brenda used to entertain the patients at Netley. Daily Echo. She sadly died on the 5th January 2021.
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