Orchard Hospital

Opened in 1902, the Orchard Hospital stands as a testament to London’s battle against infectious diseases. Originally built as a temporary haven for smallpox patients during a raging epidemic, Orchard Hospital’s wooden and iron structures housed 800 beds. The epidemic waned, and the hospital’s purpose shifted. It became a fever hospital, often standing silent, only opening its doors to combat outbreaks of scarlet fever and diphtheria. World War One transformed the Orchard Hospital into the Orchard Military Hospital. It served sick and wounded soldiers, later becoming the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in 1916. The Australians improved the hospital, even adding an operating theatre. The Red Cross established a store where patients could find comfort items. Cigarettes and chocolate were distributed, each patient receiving 30 cigarettes weekly. The hospital’s capacity expanded from 800 to 1200 beds. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps provided additional nursing staff. Over 56,000 troops received treatment at Orchard Hospital between October 1915 and December 1918. Even after the war ended, 884 soldiers remained under its care. Many found love and married local Dartford women. The Australian government gifted Dartford a captured German gun. It was a token of gratitude for the town’s hospitality. The Orchard Hospital transitioned back to its role as a fever hospital after the war. It was largely unused until World War Two. In 1939, it housed chronically ill patients evacuated from the Midlands. The mortuary became a decontamination hut for potential gas attack victims. Sadly, the wooden wards proved vulnerable to incendiary bombs. In 1940, the east buildings were destroyed. The damaged parts of Orchard Hospital were demolished. The remaining structures were repurposed as a pig farm by Joyce Green Hospital. Eventually, these too were torn down, leaving little trace of this remarkable institution.