During the Second World War, the Peace Memorial Hospital became part of the Emergency Medical Scheme (EMS) under the control of University College Hospital (UCH). In 1941, UCH established Out-patients and Casualty Departments in one of the wards. The hospital was protected by sandbags and survived the bombings although some landed close by.
In 1944, trainee nurses from Peace Memorial Hospital joined other trainees from London Hospitals to nurse the wounded from the D-Day Allied invasion of Normandy. They were sent to a Casualty Clearing Station in Chertsey for 4 months.
Hospital ward at Peace Memorial Hospital, circa 1940s
Celebrating VE day, victory in the Second World War, at Peace Memorial Hospital 1945.
This post is part of information gathered during Peace Hospice Care’s oral histories project 2014-16. The project captured 25 years of Peace Hospice Care and explored the legacy of the Peace Memorial Hospital. It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Foundation.
Find out more about Peace Hospice Care by visiting www.peacehospicecare.org.uk or the online project archive http://ourview.peacehospicecare.org.uk/ Oral histories from the project will be deposited with Hertfordshire Archive and Local Studies by end 2016.
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