| Administrative History | Ogston volunteered with the Southall Auxiliary Military Hospital as operating surgeon in the winter of 1914-15 before taking charge of a hospital detachment for the British Naval Force on the Danube at the British Belgrade Military Hospital in April 1915. He had to leave the hospital to ensure the safe return of his seriously ill daughter, who had initially accompanied him to Serbia to work as a nurse, from Serbia to a hospital in London and endured a difficult journey back to the hospital as a result of the restrictions and delays caused by the war. He left the hospital in July 1915 due to difficulties relating to the running of the hospital.
Further information can be found in 'Reminiscences of three campaigns', Alexander Ogston (London, 1919), the text of which was based on Ogston's journals [see chapter XLVIII, pp.231-260]. |
| Description | Journal kept by Sir Alexander Ogston while serving in Italy with the First British Ambulance Unit during the First World War. Entitled "Journal kept during the Great War concerning experiences in Serbia and Italy in Military or Naval Hospitals there. Volume I". There are numerous letters, photographs and other papers enclosed throughout.
The first part of the volume concerns his time spent in Serbia at the British Belgrade Military Hospital in 1915. The second part of the volume (beginning on page 87 and continuing in Volume 2 (MS 3850/1/8)) is a record of his time in Italy with the First British Ambulance Unit from 1916.
The volume describes in detail the running of the hospital, the patients he treated, the various people he worked closely with, his impressions of the war, the country in and around Gorizia and Udine in north-east Italy and his travels to and from the hospital. The description below mainly records the many enclosures found throughout the volume.
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*Serbia (pages 1-86): The British Belgrade Military Hospital
April 1915 (pages 1-12)
British Belgrade Military Hospital; departure on 1 April 1915 with daughter [Flora Mactavish Carter, nee Ogston (b.1872)] and journey to Belgrade (pages 1-12)
Sketch of Cape St. Vincent (page 3)
Sketches of Gibraltar (page 4)
Sketch of Gulf of Salonica (pages 5-6)
Sketch of soldier (page 10)
Arrival at Belgrade and description of city and military situation (pages 11-12)
Description of activities preparing hospital; description of hospital (pages 12-13)
Postcard with a black and white photograph of the hospital in Belgrade (page 13)
News of Flora's illness from Salonika, suffering from abdominal pains, 25 April 1915 (page 14)
Departure from Belgrade and arrival at hospital at Salonika (pages 15-16)
May 1915 (pages 16-37)
Imparts concerns for Flora and dangers of moving her from Salonika; describes her treatment and condition; possibility of catching ship to Britain from Malta, loan of money (pages 16-23)
Pencil sketch of Lemnos dated 11 May 1915 (page 23)
Arrival at Malta, 15 May 1915; description of island and visit to pre-Phoenician temple (pages 27-32)
Departure from Malta, 18 May 1915, on board the S.S. Novara, of the British India Line, further impressions given of island (pages 32-33).
Arrival at Dover - transfer of Flora to nursing home; meeting with Sir James Reid; Flora's operation (pages 36-38)
June 1915 (pages 38-67)
Return to Serbia, complications of journey, stay at Brindisi, Italy and then Gallipoli [pages 50-54], sketch of stone hut [page 55], journey to Cotrone [p.56], departure on board the S.S. MYKALN [or Mykale], the Greek Islands, coast of Syria, arrival at Belgrade on 21 June [p.67].
Notes difficulties at hospital in Belgrade, 22 June 1915: in his absence Markoe recalled from his post as administrator of hospital and refers to staff not being paid (page 67)
Comments that the next day will see him depart from Belgrade forever [24 June 1915 (p.69)]; calls meeting of all staff to discuss matter, except Mr. Markoe, and comments on return of staff to Britain, declining offer of post vacated by Markoe; some staff offer to remain until the end of July but Ogston, Markoe, Dr. Davidson and Miss MacLaren will leave (pages 69-74)
Departure from Belgrade to Salonika, 28 July 1915 (page 74)
Regrets concerning departure from hospital (page 76)
Account of journey home with short stay at Salonika and departure on board the 'Sydney' steamer, short stop at Marseilles (pp.77-86)
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*Italy (pages 87-157): The First British Ambulance Unit for Italy
September 1916: notes his activities since leaving hospital in Belgrade: member of the Central Medical War Committee, the Aberdeen County Branch of the Red Cross, the Aberdeenshire Territorial Association, the City War Work Association and the County War Work Association (both of Aberdeen) and of the [Special War Room?] Committee Aberdeen (page 88).
Notes circumstances of request to join the First British Ambulance Unit in Italy (page 89).
Arrival at Euston Station and reference to Zeppelin destroyed over London (page 90).
Notes disorganisation at Southampton and delay before journey to Italy via Paris on board the London and South Western steamer "Nautonia". Notes difficult conditions on board and different nationalities of civilian and military passengers (pages 93-99).
Arrival at Villa Trento hospital, "a huge rambling building, with many annexes and outbuildings, facing the South, at 10 miles distance from Goritzia" [Gorizia, situated in north-east Italy] (page 99).
Notes current personnel at hospital: "Brock is the chief under Trevelyan the Commandant Administrator. There were 2 surgeons, but at present I am the only one, except the Italian out-patient Surgeon. 3 sisters, 14 V.A.D. nurses, 4 male dressers at least. They have few medical cases, and these are treated in the same wards as the Surgical; there is one tetanus case recovering (all wounded have anti-tetanie serum injections administered by the Italian Army surgeons on the field], and there have been but few cases of cholera, typhoid or para-typhoid, though the staff have suffered much from diarrhoea, chiefly before the good aquaduct water supply was introduced" (page 101).
Refers to hospital transport and use of motor cars and ambulances rather than mules or horses - the dozen or so vehicles are in a poor condition as they have been used so heavily since the hospital has been in operation [since September 1915] (page 102).
Printed map from newspaper enclosed of area around Gorizia (page 105).
The Podgora Ridge: describes visit to view defences (referred to by Ogston as catacombs or galleries) previously occupied by Austrian troops against the Italian advance (page 106).
Photograph of entrance to Austrian trenches at Podgora and sketch with description of interior (page 107).
Italian newspaper cutting (page 109).
Sketch of bombardment behind Villa Trento with view towards Gorizia and describes shelling near hospital (pp.110-111).
Description of town of Udine (p.114).
Mention of ambulances being sent from Aberdeen and Glasgow (p.115).
Copy of letter enclosed on page 119: "Sir A. Ogston's Appeal for Ambulances for Italy" as it appeared in the Aberdeen Daily Journal on the 25 September 1916.
13 October 1916: records visit to front lines around Gorizia, with small sketch showing location of dressing station (pp.121-124).
Notes arrival of Mrs. Brock, wife of Dr. Brock, from London, to take Miss Edwards place as housekeeper, 19 October 1916 (page 124) [also see MS 3290/2/153].
'A Memorandum on the position of the First B.R.C.S. Unit, Italy by the Commandant given to the British Ambassador at Rome, Oct.16 1916' (typed document, unsigned, enclosed at page 125).
Photograph of trenches, sketch plan of area around Podgora (p.131).
Photograph: "The shell shattered Church of San [Floriones?], near Podgora" (p.133).
Photograph of Alexander Ogston in military uniform (p.136).
Sketch plan of area surrounding Gorizia and small black and white photograph of Villa Trento Hospital (page 139).
Scoda Vacca Hospital, near Aquileia in northern Italy, 16 November 1916 (page 151, with photographs of hospital and staff on page 154).
Delivery of ambulance gifted by community and county of Aberdeen (page 155).
Printed notice in Italian: 'Croce Rossa Italiana. Ospedale di Guerra No.4...' (p.156).
Photograph of Carnic Alps enclosed at end of volume. |