Overview of Brighton's WW1 Indian Hospitals, focusing on why Brighton was chosen, and the role of the Royal Pavilion. Presentation delivered at Indians on the Western Front conference held at In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres, Friday 24 October 2014

1. The Indian Hospitals in Brighton
Kevin Bacon
Royal Pavilion and Museums
Brighton & Hove

2. The Indian Hospitals
• Dec 1914 – Jan 1916: over
12,000 Indian soldiers
hospitalised in Brighton
• Why Brighton?
• What role did the Royal
Pavilion play?

3. Why Brighton?

4. Why Brighton?

5. Why Brighton?
‘At that time in England the only hospital accommodation was
provided by two very unsuitable hotels at Brockenhurst in the New
Forest. I went to see those hotels on the 20th November and formed
the opinion that it was a very unsuitable neighbourhood.. There is no
population, and there are no public buildings which could be
converted into Hospitals…
I suggested to Lord Kitchener that… I should be allowed to take up
two large hotels in Brighton. He gave me permission and on the 21st
I went down to Brighton. I saw the local authorities there, and
instead of taking up hotels, which are unsuitable and costly, I
secured from the Corporation of Brighton the buildings of the
Pavilion and the Dome.’
Sir Walter Lawrence, Commissioner for Indian Hospitals, in
letter to Viceroy Lord Hardinge,
18 March 1915

6. The First Offer?

7. Kitchener Hospital

8. York Place School

9. Royal Pavilion

10. Medical Care

11. Medical Care
• Retired IMS officers used for
senior medical staff
• Indian medical students
studying in England recruited
• White female nurses used,
although officially expected to
direct orderlies
• Over 360 operations carried
out in two operating theatres

12. Medical Care
‘Everything is such as one would
not see even in a dream. One
should regard it as fairyland.
The heart cannot be satiated
with seeing the sights, for there
is no other place like this in the
world. It is as if one were in the
next world… I have never been
so happy in my life as I am
here.’
Subedar-Major Sardar Bahadur
Gugan (6th Jats), early 1915

13. Political Role
‘I never lose an opportunity of impressing on all who are working in
these hospitals that great political issues are involved in making
the stay of these Indians as agreeable as possible.’
Sir Walter Lawrence, Commissioner of India Hospitals, report
to Lord Kitchener, early 1915

14. War Grows increasingly
global
• 5 November: Britain declares war on Turkey
• Suez Canal and access to India directly threatened
• New threat of Muslim power fighting against British
• Britain needs to secure Indian loyalty
• 19/20th November: Lawrence appointed to set up
hospitals

15. Media Spectacle

16. Royal Associations

17. Royal Associations
‘Our hospital is in the place
where the king used to
have his throne … Men
in hospital are tended
like flowers, and the King
and Queen sometimes
come to visit them.’
Isar Singh, 59th Rifles, to
a friend in the 50th
Punjabis, India, 1st
May 1915

18. Royal Associations
‘ I tried to bring out that
the Pavilion was a
Royal Palace and that
the initiation of all that
was done came from
the King. To bring the
Corporation… more
prominently into it I
thought would confuse
things in the eyes of
India.’
Col. J McLeod,
Commanding Officer
of Royal Pavilion
hospital, in letter to
Sir Walter Lawrence,
30 March 1915

19. Cultural / Religious Needs

20. Cultural / Religious Needs
Courtesy Penny Howard-Hill

21. Cultural / Religious Needs

22. Cultural / Religious Needs

23. Cultural / Religious Needs
Courtesy Commonwealth War Graves Commission

24. Closure

25. Legacy

26. Thank You
Kevin Bacon,
Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove
kevin.bacon@brighton-hove.gov.uk
@fauxtoegrafik