Did you know that the Old Naval Hospital Gibraltar started as the British Military Hospital? It is more than just a building. It is a silent witness to Gibraltar’s military and medical history.
The British Military Hospital Gibraltar opened around 1903. It provided medical care for British military personnel and local sailors. The hospital was on Europa Road in Gibraltar’s South District. It had three three-story buildings. The hospital had a capacity of about three hundred beds.
Locals nicknamed it the Wedgwood Castle. This was because of its light blue exterior. Queen Alexandra visited in 1905. King George V also visited in 1912.
During World War I, the hospital saw a stream of wounded soldiers. They came from Australia Britain and New Zealand. These soldiers arrived via hospital ship from Gallipoli. The Gibraltar Volunteer Corps helped carry the wounded. There were too many to fit in the hospital. Satellite hospitals were created.
The British Military Hospital also treated casualties of the Spanish Civil War. Fifty-five men came from the German cruiser Deutschland. The ship had been bombed off Ibiza. The hospital was already full. HMS Hunter had hit a mine. HM Maine, a hospital ship, also brought casualties. Many patients had burn injuries. Four nurses arrived by flying boat to help. One nurse even received a German Red Cross Decoration from Adolf Hitler.
During World War II, the hospital treated casualties from Malta. Their ships were repaired at the Naval dockyard. Burns were common injuries. Gort’s Hospital was built within The Rock. This was because of concerns that the British Military Hospital could be bombed. British and Canadian engineers prepared tunnels. St. Michael’s Cave became a hospital with beds and equipment. The operating room was better equipped than the one at the main hospital. Other underground hospitals included Fordham’s Hospital and Flat Bastion Road Hospital.
In 1963, the hospital was transferred to the Royal Navy. It was renamed the Royal Naval Hospital Gibraltar. The Royal Navy presence in Gibraltar decreased over time. By 2006, parts of the hospital were being converted into apartments. By 2007, it only had 25 beds.
Despite its dwindling size, the hospital achieved something special. In February 2007, it received the Baby Friendly Award from UNICEF. It was the first military hospital to do so. Sir Robert Fulton, the Governor of Gibraltar, presented the award.
In 2007, the hospital flew the White Ensign. This was instead of the Union Flag. After more than a century of service, the Old Naval Hospital Gibraltar closed in 2008. It was one of the last Royal Naval Hospitals. The new facility became the Princess Royal Medical Centre. It is located within the Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s Devil’s Tower Camp. Princess Royal inaugurated the new medical center in 2009.
The former hospital has been converted into apartments. The development is called The Cliftons. It is named after Clifton in Bristol and Clifton Beach in Cape Town. The Government of Gibraltar has applied for European Heritage Site status for the building.
Interestingly, the hospital also cared for Gibraltar’s Barbary macaques. From 1915 to 1991, the British Army and Gibraltar Regiment managed the macaque population. An officer supervised their welfare. Ill or injured monkeys received treatment at the Royal Naval Hospital. They received the same care as enlisted servicemen.
The Old Naval Hospital Gibraltar stands as a reminder. It is a reminder of Gibraltar’s past. From military hospital to civilian apartments, its story continues.