Medical dates:

Medical character:

Fairlawn, a large mansion house with spacious grounds and fine treees,  was lent by Mr F.C. Yates for use as an auxiliary military hospital.  It opened in November 1915 as a Class A auxiliary hospital to the Fourth London (T.F.) General Hospital.  

Originally it had 35 beds (later 65 beds) for enlisted servicemen and was staffed by the London 216 and London 35 Voluntary Aid Detachments (V.A.D.s).  The nursing staff consisted of 8 trained nurses, and 14 full-time and 32 part-time V.A.D.s. 

In 1916 the Hospital expanded when an additional house - Border Lodge - was loaned by Mr A. Finsler, and again in 1917, when Manor Mount was rented by the Hospital Committee.  The Hospital then had 174 beds.  The Commandant and Quartermaster were resident at the Hospital, while the nurses and V.A.D.s lived in two rented houses nearby.

The Hospital closed in October 1919.  Of the 2,724 admissions during the war period, none died.

After the war a bronze plaque was placed on the north wall of St Paul's Church in Waldenshaw Road by the V.A.D.s in commemoration of the 30 patients and 5 members of the V.A.D.s (one from the London 216 and 4 from the London 35) who had died during the war.  No names were listed on the plaque but the inscription read: To the glory of God and in memory of the patients and staff of the Fairlawn Auxiliary Military Hospital who have passed away during the Great War.

St Paul's Church was damaged by bombs in 1943 during WW2 and was demolished.  Its congregation moved to a church in Taymount Rise.  The war memorial tablet was presumably lost.  

Present status (November 2010)

Fairlawn was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb during WW2.  The site was cleared during the 1950s and Fairlawn Primary School built.  An annexe to the school  occupies the site of St Paul's Church in Waldenshaw Road.