Indian Army Guests in Bournemouth and the New Forest

On 13 November, the BU History programme co-sponsored a local history talk with the BCP Indian Community on hospitals established in Bournemouth and the New Forest for First World War Indian soldiers. Whilst the Brighton Hospital is well known, the different hospitals established in then-Hampshire have received less attention. Local historian, Nick Saunders, shared his research on the topic.

Photo: H.D. Girdwood, British Library

Nick has been researching the hospitals for the past five years after deciding to work on a master’s degree with the Open University during lockdown. By combing the local archives, the National Archives at Kew, the British Library and back-issues of the local press, he has uncovered a rich history and hopes to find out more about the soldiers who were sent to the hospital for treatment.

The hospitals for the Indian soldiers were established in 1914 when the soldiers were fighting in Europe. This included facilities in Brockenhurst in the Balmer Lawn and the Forest Park hotels, collectively designated the Lady Hardinge Hospital for Indian Soldiers. The Bournemouth facility, the 8a Indian General Hospital, was in the Mont Dore hotel located near the Royal National Sanitorium that was built to treat then-endemic tuberculosis.  There were also rehabilitation facilities in New Milton, Barton-on-Sea and Milford-on-Sea. After the Indian soldiers were transferred out of the European theatre, the hospitals served other commonwealth troops. After the war, the hotel was bought by the Bournemouth Corporation and has been the town hall ever since.

The lecture was held in advance of the installation of a new commemorative plaque for the No. 8a Indian General Hospital at the Bournemouth Town Hall on 20 November 2024. The campaign to install the plaque was led by the BCP Indian Community. In attendance was Bournemouth Mayor George Farquhar, BCP Indian Community Chairman Ramesh Lal, as well as members of the Bournemouth and Bournemouth University communities. Prior to the talk there was a screening of the film Indian Soldiers in the New Forest and Bournemouth area During World War by Vineet Johri.