On This Day, 24 January 1918

Birmingham Daily Gazette

Thursday 24 January 1918

A SPLENDID WORK

WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

Appreciative references to the noble work of the St. John Ambulance Association (Birmingham Centre) were made at the annual meeting of the association, held at the Council House, Birmingham, yesterday.

The Chairman (Sir John Holder) remarked that there were now seven St. John hospitals in Greater Birmingham, in connection with which the large number of 800 beds had been established as part of the Birmingham Directorate, which now nearly numbered 1,200 beds.

Since the commencement of the war the work of the association had increased enormously. There had been great demands for ambulance tuition, but owing to the generous assistance of their honorary medical lecturers, 3,671 certificates were issues in 1915 and 1916.

Dr. Nelson stated that a new agreement had just been signed for the establishment of an officers’ hospital, which he was sure would still be a greater triumph to add to their past achievements.

The whole of the officers were re-elected.

Refer to the following link to see a short film (although from 1928) titled “Annual inspection of Birmingham’s St. John’s Ambulance Brigade & Nursing Corps. by Maj.-Gen. Sir P. Wilkinson.”

In this video the Birmingham St. John’s brigade and the Nursing Corps marching past the Major as he salutes them.

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/birmingham-annual-inspection-of-st-john-ambulance