WELCOME TO FRED COOPER'S HISTORY WEBSITE

Seaham Hall VAD Hospital

Seaham First Aid and Nursing Volunteers in World War 1:

During the Great War the Red Cross had their own groups of volunteers called Voluntary Aid Detachments. These were often abbreviated to VAD's and the men and women carried out a range of voluntary positions including nursing, transport duties, and the organisation of convalescent and auxiliary hospitals.

In all, 27 VAD hospitals were set up in County Durham including three at Seaham. They were: -

-       13th Durham VA Hospital – Vane House, Dawdon

-       22nd VA Hospital – The Mission House, Evesham Road, New Seaham

-       28th Durham VA Hospital – Seaham Hall

Vane House Hospital was run by the 13th VAD and was located in Vane House the home of the Dawdon Colliery Manager near Edith Street, Seaham Harbour. Norah Dillon, daughter of Malcolm Dillon (Lord Londonderry’s Chief Agent) was commandant of the 10-bed hospital. It was closed by the War Office as it was too small to be economical. Norah Dillon continued her war service nursing in France.

The Mission House Hospital was run by the 22nd VAD and was located in the Mission House, the Seaham Colliery Manager’s home at the top of Australia Street, New Seaham. The commandant was Clara Swallow, wife of Wardle Asquith Swallow, the Seaham Colliery Manager.

Seaham Hall Hospital was run by the 28th VAD and was located in Seaham Hall, Seaham Harbour. The building was voluntarily donated by the Londonderry family in June 1915 for the convalescence of former Londonderry workers who were injured during the Great War. Seaham Hall was closed in 1922 due to heavy taxation and cost of maintenance. It was leased to Durham County Council at a peppercorn rent in 1927 and later opened as a tuberculosis sanitorium.

The VAD organisation administered these auxiliary hospitals and convalescent homes and much of the work of the VAD service consisted of general nursing duties and administering first aid. In addition, clerical and kitchen duties were performed and, as many men were engaged in military service, female VAD’s took on roles such as ambulance drivers, civil defence workers and welfare officers.

Almost 100 volunteers from Seaham worked at these three VAD hospitals during World War 1. A list of the nursing, medical, administrative and domestic staff who worked in the VAD service are listed below: -

Compiled by: Fred Cooper