Left: The main image on the left is from a postcard in the Doreen Rix collection.
The postcard is post-dated 2nd September 1916 and sent from Arlesey
to Mrs J. Oliver, The Heights, Ramsey in Huntingdonshire.
of staff to be killed in action was Arthur Titmus, he was killed in November
1914.
Followed by W. Brandram in December 1914, William Ellis the following
March and Frank Fowler in September 1915. In June 1917 Dr Gavin, a
junior medical officer, was awarded the Military Cross but unfortunately,
in November the same year, he was killed in France when he fell from his
horse and suffered a fractured skull.
By 1916 so many staff had enlisted that it created a staffing problem.
TCA started to take on trades people and conscientious objectors to act
as attendants. The asylum Visiting Committee applied to the Board Of
Control to get war exemption for its attendants, and this was granted on a
temporary basis.
When the Board Of Control asked the asylum to release a medical officer
to work in a new hospital being set up to treat wounded soldiers the asylum
committee refused their application on the grounds that the asylum was
already suffering from a staff shortage. By 1917 the asylum was overridden
and was ordered by the Board of Control to send one medical officer. They
chose to send Doctor Hunter, he had been turned down for active service
earlier in the war because of his age.
To help with the war effort TCA offered 100 beds for war wounded,
however they were not needed as one regional asylum would be set aside for
this purpose. In the TCA region this would be the Norfolk asylum. The asylum
would be emptied of its patients and over the next three years TCA would
take 350 of them. TCA also took in a large number of Belgian refugees, who
were also classed as ‘Private Patients’, and a concert was held in the dining
hall to raise money for the refugee fund.
In October 1918 a new Chaplain was appointed, his name was the Rev
R. LaPorte-Payne, who had himself been on active service, the Visiting
Committee gave the new reverend permission to hold a public concert to
raise money for a memorial window dedicated to the staff who were killed in
the war and this was to be installed in the east end of the chapel.
A year later with the help of fund raising by some of the patients, £65.00
had been raised. The window was available at a cost of £100.00 and the
Visiting Committee agreed to donate the extra £25.00 needed. On the 31st
May 1920 the Chairman of the Visiting Committee unveiled the memorial
window. The memorial was dedicated by Canon Pycock.
We leave the last words on the subject to patient Julia R who wrote a
poem in support of the window fund
For our war memorial
Well, friends ,the war is over
Peace is signed they say,
But many of our brave lads
In foreign graves now lay,
And it would be a shame, friends,
If we, in selfishness
Should let it be forgotten
How they have di