Joseph Artiss

Private Joseph Artiss

Year of Birth: 1870

Date of Death: 06/03/1917

Age: 47

Nationality: British

Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps 1st Southern General Hospital

Family: Wife - Agnes E. Artiss

Occupation: Travelling Gas Fitter

Image: Great Hall of University of Birmingham converted into a hospital dormitory

Painting depicting distinctive blue outfits of recuperating soldiers at the University Hospital [Image Cadbury's research Library]]

The 1st Southern General had been founded in 1908 as a Territorial General Hospital and was prepared to be used in the event of war. It was decided in 1909 to employ the new buildings, not yet completed, at the University of Birmingham as a 520-bed hospital. This was done in case war broke out, which it did in 1914. The first convoy of 120 casualties arrived on September 1st 1914.

At the peak, the hospital could cater for 130 officers and 2357 other ranks. By the time of the Somme battle in mid 1916, it had been expanded to 1,560 beds. In May 1917 the Dudley Road facility was separated as a hospital in its own right, adopting the title 2/1st Southern General Hospital. At this time, there were in total 8827 beds in the city.

In Birmingham, the treatment of the wounded focused on the University buildings at Edgbaston and was supplemented by a variety of voluntary organisations and auxiliary hospitals.

Local mental hospitals were also turned over to the war effort. Rubery Hill, kn own later as the 1st Birmingham War Hospital, opened in summer 1915, and Hollymoor became the 2nd Birmingham War Hospital.

More beds were needed as the war progressed and many large private houses were lent or donated by their owners, including The Beeches in Bournville, Farcroft in Handsworth, Highbury in Moseley, Lordswood in Harborne, Moor Green Hall in Moseley, The Norlands in Erdington, Stoneleigh in Stechford, and Uffculme in Kings Heath.

Civilian hospitals were also used. 100 beds at the General Hospital were placed at the disposal of the military in early 1914 and the Queen’s Hospital in Bath Row treated wounded Belgian soldiers from October 1914. Local schools were also given up to the war effort.

Activities were organised by hospitals to keep the wounded soldiers occupied. There were workshops and classes, including at the city’s School of Art, drama companies put on shows and many theatres would give soldiers free tickets to performances. At Christmas, wards were decorated and celebrations took place. There were over 7,000 hospital beds in Birmingham

by the end of the war. By 1919, over 125,000 men had been treated in the city, including soldiers from Belgium, Serbia and America, along with New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

See untold stories for more stories of wounded soldiers in Birmingham.

Image, thanks Cadbury's research lLibrary: Patients watching a performance of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' by Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company in the grounds of the hospital to celebrate 400 years since Shakespeare's birth c. 1914

untold-stories_learning-guide.pdf

Letter written by a New Zealand soldier treated at the Hospital[Image Cadbury's Research Library]