Christmas at Balmer Lawn 1917
Two sets of photos from two different archives depict Christmas 1917 at the No1 New Zealand General Hospital satellite site of Balmer Lawn at Brockenhurst.
They show a good deal of effort undertaken to cheer up the social areas and the wards of Balmer Lawn with New Forest foliage.
The first two photos are taken by Staff Nurse Elfrida Anne Parkinson and show the main hall and stairs with group of convalescent New Zealand soldiers and nurses. These are from the National Army Museum of New Zealand Archive
The following three photos are taken by Norman Henry Prior a doctor who was posted to Brockenhurst in December 1917 for a year. They show wards 1 and 2 decorated with foliage.
You can find out more about the activities, sites and stories associated with the hospital by clicking here: No.1 New Zealand General Hospital