This article has been researched and written by Ryan Fallon, a Northern Bridge Ph.D. candidate. Ryan is currently based at Northumberland Archives on a six-month Northern Bridge placement. The article is a contribution to Northumberland Archives Heritage Lottery funded ‘At War and In Peace …’ project. The project allows us to explore sources relating to the Second World War Home Front in Northumberland and societal reconstruction in the county in the period immediately after the War. The research undertaken within the project will inform a programme of related exhibitions, outreach and schools education activity that will be hosted at venues across Northumberland.

Maintaining hundreds of children during a global conflict was no easy feat for the Poor Children’s Holiday Association (henceforth P.C.H.A). Their own records highlight the uneasy relationship between home front provisions and charitable operations: “In these days of National Service and other organisations making demands upon people’s spare time, we feel somewhat diffident about adding our quota, but the need in our case is equally great”.^₁ What is the reasoning behind such trepidations? On the one hand the P.C.H.A trusted in the utility of their cause. They were, after-all, attempting to treat those who suffered from an incurable illness; children were regarded as undeserving of tuberculosis. The other side of this delicate balance was that if Britain lost the war, then there may be little of a ‘society’ for these children to return to. In taking donations away from the home front, could the P.C.H.A be adding to the dangers of Britain’s annihilation? Administrators of the Sanatorium were, consequently, engaged in a balancing act; protecting vulnerable children and avoiding any accusation that they were hampering the war effort.

In seeking out donations the P.C.H.A were keen to suggest that children were unaffected by the wrath of continental warfare. Classes continued to go ahead with much being made of the children singing._² The writings of the P.C.H.A seemingly indicate a state of normalcy. Attendance at the Open Air School was high, operations continued as normal, and children engaged in all manner of playtime activities.

“The wards are like happy sunny nurseries, painted in bright clear colours, and decorated with pictures that have been traced and coloured by the older children original drawings made for them at school. The big girls’ ward is like a garden, for round the walls runs a lovely flower frieze-hollyhocks and delphiniums nod at each other across the ward, and pansies, primroses and anemones make the whole place gay. The little girls live in the ‘Noah Ark’, and the animals ever march in stately procession round the walls. Away-Away-Away go the little jockeys on their hobby horses in the little boys’ ward-up and away they go over hurdles in a race that never ends. Everywhere you turn, fresh pictures greet the eyes, and everywhere too, there is the sound of happy children’s voices. Sweet little faces smile a greet that says clearer than words that they are very happy, although not too well, and away from home”^₃

The P.C.H.A also made prominent the improvements that were being made in the name of healthcare: “In March 1934 there were 170 such children while to-day there are only 138. These numbers are an inspiration because they prove that tuberculosis is gradually being conquered. Public money spent on health services is reaping a golden harvest in improved health of children (…)”.^₄ Whilst Britain fought on against the threat of fascism, the P.C.H.A continued to put public money to good use – restoring children to full health. Effectively, every donation to the charity would have played its role in helping the home front. In part, such declarations were the organisations endeavours to solve the wartime dilemma. Supporting children was just as valuable to the war effort as soldiers fighting in the field.

Children of the Stannington Children’s Sanatorium played their part in assisting developments on the home front. Patients collected herbs which were used on the front line to alleviate pain.^₅ Children also raised £15:7:6 for war charities._⁶ What this demonstrates is the scale of Britain’s wartime effort; even children who were hospitalised were doing their part in the battle of Britain. Attempts were made by the P.C.H.A to keep children’s knowledge of the war a minimum. The children took part in craft making which were displayed – and sold – at the Bainbridge Memorial Hall.^₇ Marquetry, pewter, basketry, leatherwork, and paintings were emphasised as at the event.^₈ Theatre performances came to the Sanatorium during Christmas time, and these visits also brought children’s toys to the hospital.^₉ Whilst the war was raging all around the Stannington, the children were seemingly kept in a bubble; avoiding all knowledge of the harsh realities faced by soldiers or those living in cities. Such attempts were not always fruitful. Some of the oral history testimonies, for example, demonstrate that the children did know of the war.

The most significant event in the Sanatorium’s wartime history was the movement of all the child patients to Hexham Hydro.^₁₀ Prior to the movement, the Sanatorium had become a joint hospital – serving the needs of children and soldiers. Combatants were slowly commandeering the hospital. At first the facilities were used to treat illnesses: lumbago, influenza, and bronchitis. It was even used to treat some veterans who suffered from ‘Shell Shock’. Overtime, however, physical injuries began to appear within the hospital: sprained backs, broken toes, and even gunshot wounds sustained at the Battle of Dunkirk. The fear for the children’s safety was made worse by the increased bombing of the area by the Luftwaffe. In July 1941, it was deemed unsafe to have children on the property. They needed to be moved to a location which continued their countryside treatment, whilst being protected from the atrocities of total war.

During the war the P.C.H.A. were keen to emphasise that the work of the Sanatorium in making children healthier had not been impeded. “I am glad that in spite of war, the work has been going satisfactory and the children have not been allowed to suffer in any way”, said Viscountess Allendale at the annual meeting of the P.C.H.A.^₁₁ A ramp was installed at Hexham Hydro to better facilitate outdoor treatment. Much like Stannington, patients would be wheeled out onto verandas for fresh air and sunlight. Classes would be taken outside, allowing the children to receive the fresh air needed to recover from tuberculosis. This was a period prior to streptomycin; any assistance the children could receive was dependant on ‘natural cures’:  fresh air, sunlight, and food. Prior to the conclusion of the war, the child patients were moved back to Stannington (7^th January 1944) where the miracle of Streptomycin cured a vast number of patients.^₁₂ Eventually tuberculosis began to subside, and the Sanatorium was turned into a long stay health hospital for children.

Work cited:

• Annual Reports of the PCHA 1938-1941
• Newcastle Evening Chronicle – via The British Newspaper Archive.

[1] HOSP/STAN/1/3/5 Annual Reports of the PCHA, 1938

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] HOSP/STAN/1/3/6 Annual Reports of the PCHA, 1939.

[5] HOSP/STAN/1/3/7, Annual Reports of the PCHA, 1940.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 28^th May 1940. Newspaper archives.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 14^th January 1941. Newspaper Archives.

[10] HOSP/STAN/1/3/8, Annual Reports of the PCHA, 1941.

[11] Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 2^nd February 1943. Newspaper archives.

[12] HOSP/STAN/1/3/11, Annual Reports of the PCHA, 1944.