| Administrative History | Ogston was requested to join the First British Ambulance Unit for Italy in 1916 as operating surgeon, leaving Aberdeen in August of that year and remaining with the unit for nearly 15 months. He was posted to the Villa Trento hospital situated between Udine and Gorizia in north-east Italy, a British Red Cross hospital under the charge of G.M. Trevelyan (Ambulance Department) and Dr. G.S. Brock (Hospital Department).
George Macaulay Trevelyan (1876-1962), historian. Published 'Scenes from Italy's War' (1919).
George Sandison Brock, ML, FRSE, Physician at the British Embassy in Rome.
Further information can be found in 'Reminiscences of three campaigns', Alexander Ogston (London, 1919), the text of which was based on Ogston's journals. |
| 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" [Volume 2], the journal continues from volume 1 (MS 3850/1/7) with the first page numbered page 158. There are numerous letters, photographs and other papers enclosed throughout.
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.
A black and white photograph is enclosed between the front cover and the flyleaf of wounded soldiers and a nurse distributing food, annotated on the reverse with the names of individuals: 1. Allan, 2. Sister [Power?], 3. Seabrooke, 4. Morgan.
Enclosed between pages 164 and 165 is typescript copy of a letter sent by Ogston as Medical Officer in the First British Ambulance Unit for Italy, British Red Cross Society, to G.M. Trevelyan dated the 9 December 1916. He requests that a standing order be issued "that every ambulance or other car moving within the zone of fire shall carry with it at least one Emergency Field Dressing". He also asks that a similar order be issued regarding the wearing of steel helmets. He adds that "for the sake of example, it would be desirable that you yourself should, when exposed to possible missiles, also wear a steel helmet". Also enclosed is a typescript note: "Scheme of Suggestions for moving nearer to the Front".
Page 165A-165B: Typescript document: "Parole Del Capellano Evangelico Valdese, Capitano Elibertalo, Alla Sepoltura Del Signor Smith (British Red Cross)". Also includes 9 small black and white photographs:
Dr. and Mrs. Thompson
Operation Theatre, Villa Trento
Vittoria Ward, Villa Trento [including patients]
Vittoria Ward, Villa Trento [including patients]
Operation Theatre, Villa Trento
The Radiography Rooms, and some of the Nurses Tents, behind Villa Trento Hospital, in snow, Jan 1917
A.O., April 1917 [in military uniform beside truck]
A.O., October 1916 [in military uniform]
Geoffrey Young, Dr Brock, [Dyne?], Trevelyan, Dr. Thompson, Donal Gray, [Mr Gilpin], A. Ogston, Dr. Harris [group photograph]
Handwritten copy of document in Italian (pages 166-167).
Black and white photograph of "Ashby's Car" with numerous individuals shown seated or standing next to it. Annotated on reverse (page 167).
Handwritten letter in Italian enclosed (pages 172-173).
2 black and white photographs enclosed - Carnic Alps; Caporetto - The Units House [street scene, c.March 1917] (pages 202-203).
2 black and white photographs of Italian alps (pages 204-205)
Typescript copy of letter sent by Alexander Ogston dated 7 April 1917 to Mr. Gilpin in which he discusses the position the First British Ambulance Unit "occupies in Italy, in the minds of the Italians". Differentiates between the Ambulance Department and the Hospital Department of the Unit, extolling the virtues of the latter. Also includes 2 postcards and one photograph of the Italian alps and Caporetto. Includes typescript signed reply by Mr. Gilpin dated 20 April 1917 (pages 206-207).
11 April 1917 - Victory at Vimy Ridge; supply of bandages; Red Cross consignment of hospital stores sunk in the Mediterranean; Italian newspaper cutting enclosed about Villa Trento Hospital dated 10 April 1917 (pages 208-209).
2-9 May 1917 - Introduction of censorship at hospital after complaints of "unguarded letters with military news" by Italians; scheme of mobilisation in sections (pages 215-216).
2 black and white photographs of 4 men seated outside building, c.April 1917 (both annotated on reverse): A. Ogston, Major Elliott, Dr. Brock and Lt. Col. Hayley (page 215).
12 May 1917 - Visit of Arthur Stanley, Chairman of the British Red Cross Society (page 217).
Sketch plan of British Red Cross in Italy, First Unit, showing location of headquarters of ambulance section and outposts of ambulances, dated 12 May 1917 (p.217)
Sketch plan of area around Gorizia and Monte Santo enclosed (page 219)
2 newspaper cuttings enclosed of plans of area near Gorizia (p.221)
3 postcards enclosed (p.223)
Sketch: "View of Mt. Crostic..." (p.224)
8 photographs enclosed, including photograph of Ogston standing next to Italian officer Captain Pifermo, the ambulance car station at Plava and a silk worm bed (pp.227-229)
5 photographs and 1 Italian newspaper cutting enclosed - the photographs are annotated on the reverse and show dressing stations and areas visited outside Gorizia (pp.230-231)
Photograph: "A view of a ward in underground hospital near [Plava?]..." (p.232)
Typescript circular in Italian enclosed (p.233)
7 photographs and one newspaper cutting showing plan of Gorizia (annotated). The photographs appear to show Ogston and other officers visiting trenches and outposts; one, labelled C, is annotated on the reverse with the names of B.B. Baker, R.A. or Major Nelson?, Ogston and Dr. Brock (pp.236-237)
Plan of area around Goriza from newspaper (p.239)
6 black and white photographs, annotated on reverse and labelled A-F, showing local scenery and buildings (pp.239-241)
August 1917:
Photograph of Alexander Ogston in military uniform standing next to camera tripod (page 243)
Newspaper cutting - map of area of operations around Gorizia (page 248)
Newspaper cutting - map - "Fronte Giulia" (page 250)
Sketch plan of Italian assault at Monte San Gabriele (page 253)
September 1917:
Photograph of Alexander Ogston reclining in chair (page 254)
Typescript copy of poem from Punch entitled V.A.D. (page 256)
November 1917:
Plan of Italy (from newspaper) showing area surrounding Vicenza, Vittorio and Treviso (p.282)
Notes departure from Unit after 15 months and award of Italian long service medal (p.283b).
Photograph of Ogston standing next to an unidentified officer (p.285)
Handwritten letter from E.H. Gilpin to Ogston, dated 22 November 1917, with typescript copy of reply from Ogston to Gilpin, dated 24 November 1917 (p.288).
Envelope containing 4 handwritten letters (p.289):
G.S. Brock, British Consulate, Rome to Ogston, 3 November 1917
[Lily?] Brock, Rome to Ogston, 5 November [1917]
George Trevelyan, Castelbelforte to Ogston, 3 November 1917: "...You will have heard that we lost all our hospital material in the retreat, though by great luck we saved all the men and women and over half the cars..."
Ogston to Bevan B. Baker, Honorary Secretary to the First British Ambulance Unit for Italy, 123 Pall Mall, London.
Typescript letter from Mr. Gilpin of the British Red Cross Society to Ogston dated 27 November 1917.
Typescript copy of letter from Ogston to Mr Gilpin dated 28 November 1917 giving opinion and recommendations with regard to the Villa Trento hospital. Also reply from Gilpin enclosed dated 3 December 1917 (p.292).
Newspaper cutting enclosed after page 292 entitled "Sinister German Notions for the Italians".
Enclosed at end of volume are a number of papers:
- a fold-out postcard showing bird's eye view of northeastern Italy and area between the Adriatic sea and the alps including Udine, Gorizia and Trieste.
- a letter from George S. Brock, dated 30 November 1917, explaining circumstances of break up of hospital in Italy [Dr. Brock, British Consulate, Rome].
- note in Italian signed by the Direttore di Sanita', 1918.
- typescript copy of letter sent by Dr. Brock to Mr. Gilpin dated 6 December 1917 with covering letter to Ogston.
- typescript copy of letter by Ogston to Dr. Brock dated 13 December 1917 referring to above letter of 6 December. |