The General Hospital was a unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
The following information is from “War Establishments of the New Armies”, a War Office publication of 1915. It relates to hospital equipped with 1040 beds.
Establishment
- 1 Colonel in charge
- 2 Lieutenant-Colonels
- 1 Major acting as Registrar
- 4 Majors and 24 Captains, Lieutenants or Second-Lieutenants for general duties (of which, 26 may be civil surgeons specially engaged)
- 2 Quartermasters (officers)
- 2 Warrant Officers
- 1 Sergeant-Major
- 18 Sergeants (employed 8 on nursing duties, 2 stewards, 4 dispensers (of which, 2 may be specially enlisted), 1 cook, 1 pack storekeeper, 1 linen storekeeper, 4 clerks)
- 2 Buglers
- 26 Corporals (employed 2 stewards, 2 cooks, 1 clothing storekeeper, 5 on general duties, 3 supernumerary)
- 176 Privates (employed 3 stewards stores, 6 cooks (of which, 1 for female nursing staff), 1 clothing storekeeper, 2 on pack stores, 2 on linen stores, 2 on clothing stores, 4 clerks, 86 on ward duties (50 on nursing section and 36 on general duty section), 39 batmen (of which, 7 for female nursing staff), 14 on general duties, 5 supernumerary)
Note: of the total rank and file, 6 would be trained in use of carpentry tools, 2 would be attendants in skiagraphy and electrotherapy, 2 would be operating room attendants, 3 laboratory attendants, and 2 would be cooks with special certificates. Up to 67 could be specially enlisted men.
Plus, of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service:
- 1 Matron
- 26 Sisters
- 46 Staff Nurses
Plus, attached:
- 3 Chaplains (1 each Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic if the hospital was isolated from others; there was always be 1 Church of England Chaplain for a General Hospital, but not more than 1 each Presbyterian and Roman Catholic Chaplains would be allotted to a group of three General Hospitals if they located within a short distance.)
- 3 batmen for Chaplains