Southam war patient’s story is revealed

A family have made an emotional trip to Southam to learn more about the hospital where their ancestor was cared for after being wounded as a soldier during the First World War.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2014, 08:00 BST
Simon Colbeck with his wife Elaine and children Megan and Alec at the exhibition, with Cardall Collection chairman Bernard Cadogan and exhibition curator Val Brodie.Simon Colbeck with his wife Elaine and children Megan and Alec at the exhibition, with Cardall Collection chairman Bernard Cadogan and exhibition curator Val Brodie.
Simon Colbeck with his wife Elaine and children Megan and Alec at the exhibition, with Cardall Collection chairman Bernard Cadogan and exhibition curator Val Brodie.

Simon Colbeck, who lives in Herefordshire, has for a long time had in his possession photographs of his grandfather Alec Colbeck, who served with the 9th Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from the outbreak of the war. Mr Colbeck had known there was a connection between his grandfather and the Grange Hospital in Southam - but he did not know much more than that.

It was by chance that he was browsing the internet when he came across information about the on-going Southam Women in World War One exhibition about the VAD nurses who worked at the Grange - and he realised that his grandfather’s picture was included in the display, which has been put together by curator Val Brodie using items collated for the Cardall Collection - although no details about the hospital patients had been found.

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Mr Colbeck found out more about his grandfather and brought this information with him when he and his family made a special trip to Southam last Saturday to see the exhibition and visit the former site of the Grange Hospital.

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Alec Colbeck.Alec Colbeck.
Alec Colbeck.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Colbeck, whose son is also named Alec, said: “It was great for us to visit the exhibition and see all the hard work that had gone into researching the hospital.

“I was amazed that my grandfather was one of so many injured men treated by such a small hospital. We were all very interested to learn the stories of the nurses who appear on the pictures with my grandfather.”

The exhibition at Vivian House in Market Hill is open on Tuesdays and farmers’ market Saturdays until end September from 10am to noon. For details, call 613503.