What is information on the Fifth General Hospital in ETO?

Fifth General Hospital (ETO)

- Type: General hospital

- Location: Shrivenham, Berkshire, England

- Operating dates: 1942–1944

- Commander: Colonel Charles R. Reynolds

The Fifth General Hospital was founded on 10 March 1942 at Shrivenham and officially opened on 23 March by Queen Mary. The first patients arrived two weeks later.

The hospital was housed in 20 Nissen huts, which had been brought over from the USA with the beds and other medical equipment. The hospital had 1,350 beds.

In addition to 322 enlisted men and 100 WACS enlisted personnel, the staff also included 13 consultants and 115 nurses. The hospital had seven surgical teams and, besides the surgical and medical wards, there was an x-ray department, an operating room and a dental clinic.

In order to provide the hospital with a continual flow of water a borehole had to be dug and two reservoirs were built. There was also an incinerator, built in conformity with the 1937 Public Health Act, to dispose of the rubbish from the hospital.

The hospital received patients not only from the British forces but from the American Air Force and the Belgian Forces. By July 1943, the hospital had treated 12,500 patients, of whom 2,000 were flown in from North Africa and Sicily.

In early 1944, the first of the wounded from the Anzio landings were admitted. On 1 August 1944 the hospital ceased admitting new patients and it officially closed on 1 October 1944. However, the hospital remained in operation with a small administrative staff until 20 January 1945. During the war, the Fifth General Hospital had treated 20,230 patients.

The hospital site is now occupied by Shrivenham Business Park.