A Sort Of History of BMH Iserlohn

Didn't work with any German nurses whilst I was there in 1970. There was a "white" Russian nurse on childrens ward but I can't remember any German Doctors either.

Colin,

Just checked with my mum (she has a better memory than mine) and she says the only German medic she remembers in BMH was an Optician.
I remember the Dentists name Mr Sheard, I was in primary school with his daughter Julia.

How long were you in Iserlohn ?

Gwyn

Since it was a BRITISH Military Hospital, much of the senior staff, at least, were British. Several of the Canadian Army doctors also had privileges at BMH Iserlohn as well as working out of the medical clinic located in the Hemer PMQs (Breslauer strasse?).

An interesting little sidebar re Canadian Army Doctors...most of them were young graduates of medical school who, due to the high cost of medical school, had been 'put through' by the Department of National Defence (DND), granted a commission upon graduation (lieutenants, mostly), and then had to 'pay back' by working as medical officers for a certain number of years.

The general perception of these young lieutenants was not overly positive....most of them didn't want to be in the Army to begin with, not all of them graduated from the top of their class, and while the perception at the time didn't allow for this, I suspect many of them were brand spanking new...like only out of med school for less than a year....so their knowledge and approach with people was a bit iffy.

As for the nurses at BMH Iserlohn...I don't recall many Canadian nurses, although I am sure there were some. In my memory, it is British Nursing Sisters, complete with short 'veil' wafting down behind their heads, I recall. Tough broads, too! LOL Especially 'matron.' Yikes.... if some young soldier needed to take a shot in his ass and took exception to pulling down his pants, he was guaranteed to lose that particular battle if Matron had anything to say about it! We won't even start with certain locations for the taking of temperatures LOL

(which reminds me of a Carry On skit involving a rather befuddled doctor, a nursing sister, some old patient and a daffodil....).

Off hand, I don't recall any German doctors or nurses which wouldn't surprise me as between the British and the Canadians there was probably enough personnel to adequately staff the joint. Some of the technicians may have been German (radiology etc) and certainly housekeeping staff and grounds were all German.

Stephen,

Thanks for the update, yes I realise it was a BRITISH Military Hospital I just had a perception that there were German medical personnel, maybe as you say they were technicians rather than doctors. I hadn't realised that the hospital was staffed with both Canadian and British Doctors and it's interesting how the Canadian juniors were blackmailed encouraged to see out their internship with the promise of a commission. I wander how many stayed on ? I guess it might have been seen by some as a cushy number, especially if they were as you said - not the top of the class.

I seem to recall that the BMH held an annual families sports day. Kids of all ages, Mums and Dads races etc. Not sure who organised these - did you attend any of these ? It might of course have been just a one off, around 1966/67.

Hi Stephen Lock and all
The eagle has landed...today took photos of the former BMH Iserlohn the main gate is long gone with new buildings built to connect the three original blocks at that point...the eagle is now at the north end of the last main block please send me your private email address and will send a invite to view the album goes for anybody who wants to view
Cheers and best regards from a very sunny Iserlohn...it's a bank holiday!

Gwynno I was at Iserlohn for a year, I left 29 Field Ambulance at Obernkirchen to start Nurse training at 9 Coy (Colchester MH), nurses in training at Colchester were rotated there. If you look at QARANC.co.uk website, the bit about Iserlohn the photo of the 3 QA's together includes my wife (still)! The QA with the guy in whites is a friend we are still in contact with and the bloke "walter" was my room mate. i've got some photos somewhere of the area and woods nearby if i can root them out I will

Gwynno wrote:

Stephen,

Thanks for the update, yes I realise it was a BRITISH Military Hospital I just had a perception that there were German medical personnel, maybe as you say they were technicians rather than doctors.

Of course you realized that LOL...and I realized you realized it

Keep in mind, my perception of who staffed where is probably not all that accurate since my involvement with BMH Iserlohn was like that of many teenagers...it was just something that was there and that we took for granted but otherwise didn't pay a lot of attention to re administrating of the institution, staffing etc.

My only exposure to the staffing end of things, as I have previously mentioned, was when we lived in Iserlohn in 1971-72 and my mom worked in the tuck shop for a while.

So, I'm kind of guessing that BMH was like other army institutions in that it employed a fair number of civilians. I know my dad, who was a Supply Tech, had several Germans working under him. Not real sure what they did. I know some were housemen in the warehouse, shipping and receiving, ordering, stuff like that. A few women worked as secretaries in the office alongside military clerks, and of course there were always civilian workers doing landscaping, maintenance, etc.

Gwynno wrote:

I hadn't realised that the hospital was staffed with both Canadian and British Doctors and it's interesting how the Canadian juniors were blackmailed encouraged to see out their internship with the promise of a commission. I wander how many stayed on ? I guess it might have been seen by some as a cushy number, especially if they were as you said - not the top of the class.

I suspect the majority of doctors, especially those in the upper echelons like preceptors etc., were British. I am rather putting two-and-two together when I mention Canadian doctors being on staff at BMH...I mean, I really cannot see the Canadian medical officers only being restricted to the family clinic and not having privileges at BMH, hence I assume there were Cdn doctors at BMH. At what level, I cannot say....

The idea of serving/paying back their med school expenses by serving with DND is still something that goes on, as far as I know. It can be a pretty sweet deal, all in all. Looks damn good on a resume and it does give the newly minted doctors some experience. Mind you, not as many are seeking that avenue out these days as we have such a doctor shortage in Canada, grads pretty much can pick and choose where their practice will be. We even import doctors from overseas to come and set up a general practice in some of the smaller centres/rural areas and even at that, their patient load is enormous because there is such a shortage of doctors. We can thank our government for that and their cutting back on Health Care issues....

As for how many stayed on after their three (?) year stint...hard to say. I know of a few here and there who found the life to be pretty okay and got some satisfaction out of it (and an opportunity to travel and see parts of the world they never would get to see; it kind of gets into your blood after awhile as many of us know). Life as a lieutenant/captain/major is a damn sight better than life as a private/corporal/lance corporal/sergeant/Warrant Officer (Sgt.Major), that's for sure!

Gwynno wrote:

I seem to recall that the BMH held an annual families sports day. Kids of all ages, Mums and Dads races etc. Not sure who organised these - did you attend any of these ? It might of course have been just a one off, around 1966/67.

Hmmmm....yeah, now that you mention it, I seem to recall similar events. Of course, they've all sort of blended together now (there were also family events organized in the various camps as well, barbeques and such).

I did attend a few of the ones held in the camps....I don't recall any at BMH per se but then living hell and gone out on the economy, we sometimes had to forego attending such events. Besides, neither my mom or dad were 'sporty' types and I certainly wasn't!

The BMH Iserlohn is now a boarding school and a "posh" one at that.Some of the buildings have been demolished and some have been refurbished.The BMH also had one of the best forces folk club in BAOR "Krankenfolk".It opened it`s doors on the 15th Sept 1974 and some of the top folk preformers played there.
My recollection is that all of the nurses and doctors were British Army personal the admin,porters and kitchen helps were locals employed by the PCLU. I worked as a civilian cook in the cookhouse in 72-74 along side the ACC cooks.I am still living in Iserlohn and it`s still a good town to live in.

John, thanks for the update.

I suspect my memories as a child of 5 or 6 were that anyone working in a Hospital must have been either doctors or nurses and so I assumed local workers were medical.

So how long have you lived in Iserlohn ? I have great memories including the fair, in a field down by the Seilersee, I remember skating on it one winter. I haven't visited for years but when I did what a shock it was to see that great big road going over the Seilersee - Aggghhh!.

Have you just stumbled across this site ?

I did just a couple of weeks ago, can't keep away.

Gwyn

Hi Gwynno,
Thanks for the mail.
I have been living on and off in Iserlohn since 1972. No matter how hard i try to get away from the place i always seem to land back here ! I last moved back here in 1997 and have live here ever since with my daughterand 2 cats.
I stumbled onto the site as i am doing research on a book i am going to write about an aspect of the social history of Iserlohn and i wanted to find out info about the BMH and the Krankenfolk club in particular as there was a connection between the the German folk club and the Krankenfolk club.On the first night of Krankenfolk a young german civilian Manfred Malzahn played his first ever live gig there and went onto preform in various folk bands and also helped run the Iserlohn folk club for a time.
The fair is still going.It`s held every year at Easter at the same location at the Seilersee.
I also remember skating on the Seilersee in 74 but not on the big sea one of the small see`s below the big one.Sadly the seilersee hasn`t frozen over for a number of years in winter so the kids today don`t have the experience of skating on it that you and i had.These`s day they have to be content to skate in the icesport hall that was built and open in 1971.
The bridge over the seilersee was built in 1973.It is part of the motorway network and is the A46.Infact the A46 ends once you cross the bridge ! I remember seeing them build it when i worked in the cookhouse as a civilian cook in the BMH.
Great days great memories.

John Bell -- It would appear your first living in Iserlohn overlapped with mine. My parents and I lived on Am Tyrol (#7, as I recall) when Dad was completing the Canadian close-out and transferring properties etc. to BAOR. That was 71-72.

Prior to that we lived in Soest PMQs (70-71) and before that he was stationed in Hemer (well, actually, in Iserlohn, at Fort Qu'Appelle) and we lived in a couple of villages out past the Hoennetal (stayed with German friends in Balve initially while Dad tried to find housing, then in two little rooms in a family home in Mellen, and finally a comfortable upstairs flat in Beckum (the town, not the city)).

Where in Iserlohn do you live now?

It was interesting to read that the former BMH site is now a posh boarding school; I wasn't aware of that...I thought it was some sort of technical college or some such. That some of the buildings on the site have since been demolished doesn't surprise me, however. Sad, but time marches on. At least the site wasn't allowed to go derelict, as so many of the former sites have been allowed to do throughout the old Canadian Brigade Area, BAOR, and down in Lahr.

I wasn't aware of the Krankenfolk club. I am aware of a fairly strong jazz tradition occurring in Iserlohn, however.

I have seen pictures of the A46 bridge over the Seilersee...ugly bloody thing! And had heard A46 ends once you cross the bridge, which is a bit odd. I suppose The Powers That Be are as idiotic in Iserlohn and/or Westphalia as anywhere else! LOL

Stephen Lock wrote:

I have seen pictures of the A46 bridge over the Seilersee...ugly bloody thing! And had heard A46 ends once you cross the bridge, which is a bit odd. I suppose The Powers That Be are as idiotic in Iserlohn and/or Westphalia as anywhere else! LOL

Not so daft the plans is to connect to the rest of the A46 at Arnsberg has been thwarted by a landowner trying to save his property in the way however the start of construction will be 2012 taking 3.5 years with a tunnel and major bridge and will take the pressure of other east to west autobahns
Steve from sunny Iserlohn

Hi Stephen,
maybe our paths did cross. I lived in Dürer str from June 72.I now live opposite the Schauberg.You would not recognise it today as it has been restored to its former glory and is now used for functions.
You were right there were rock bands playing there in 1971/1972 but not in the old cinema. They played in the cellar that was rented by the stadt Iserlohn and became Iserlohn`s first Youth centre.I am presently researching the history of the Youth centre.
Steve is partly right.The plan is to connect up with the A46 in Arnsberg but there is still stiff opposition as some of the land the motorway is planned to be built on is enviromentaly senstive.It has taken the authorities since 1974 to come up with the present plan and i have my doubts that the 2012 plan will be implimented.
The folk club Krankenfolk was in the 1st floor of the NAFFI block and was very well attended.It started in March 1974
There is still a Jazz club in Iserlohn the "Hot club" and they still put on regular events.

John Bell wrote:

Hi Stephen,
maybe our paths did cross. I lived in Dürer str from June 72.

Hmmm...how old were you at the time? I was 17 and 18 during my time in Iserlohn and had made some connections with other youth, albeit mainly in Hemer (although I attended Cornwall Comprehensive in Dortmund with the Iserlohn crowd).

John Bell wrote:

I now live opposite the Schauberg.You would not recognise it today as it has been restored to its former glory and is now used for functions.
You were right there were rock bands playing there in 1971/1972 but not in the old cinema. They played in the cellar that was rented by the stadt Iserlohn and became Iserlohn`s first Youth centre.I am presently researching the history of the Youth centre.

Oh, then I pretty much know where you live! Cool. Yes, back in the day the Schauberg, as I recall, had seen better days so I am glad it's been restored. And, now that you mention it, I do recall a few rock shows I attended at the Schauberg being held in the basement. Mainly local German bands, but good.

John Bell wrote:

Steve is partly right.The plan is to connect up with the A46 in Arnsberg but there is still stiff opposition as some of the land the motorway is planned to be built on is enviromentaly senstive.It has taken the authorities since 1974 to come up with the present plan and i have my doubts that the 2012 plan will be implimented.

Hmmm...I seemt to recall some talk about that inthe 70's. It's taken this long to implement? Heavens!

I was 19 at the time and was working in the BMH cookhouse.I did go to the Hemer youth club a couple of times but the Bay city "teenies"were not my cup of tea.I prefered to have a few beers in the "Windschief" pub where the Brits used to drink.The pub is long gone and a Greek restaurant is now there.
It was in the Windschief where i first can into contact with Germans of my own age and who took me under their wing and took me to the Schauberg.There i got to meet lots of other Germans of my age and soon made lots of friends as i was one of a few Brits there and they all wanted to practice their English with me.I am still friends with some of the people i meet there at the time.
I think you miss understood what wrote about the A 46.The bridge over the Seilersee was built in 73-74 and opened for use then.The motorway ended once you went over the bridge and the car were directed back onto the B7 that lead to Hemer and Menden. As Steve wrote the extention of the motorway from the Seilersee is provisional planned to start in 2012.

john,what was the proper name of the pub we called the"new bar"up that little hill by bmh.fell down that hill on more than one ocaision...graham.

"Bay city 'teenies'...LOL...yes, that is quite true.

I also very quickly moved on from hanging out at the youth club to chumming around with a couple of the older lads (Noel, who worked at Hemer NAAFI and was President of the Youth Club, and his best mate...whose name I have forgotten, but who had been a former President as well...both skinhead lads and Irish Ranger sons).

That led off to a bunch of us traipsing off to various pubs. Our favourite, as mentioned elsewhere, being Katz, located down in the industrial area in Stephanopel, located enroute to Deilinghofen, down in the valley. How they ever found the place, I have no idea! It was a good 20 minute walk from the MQ area.

I have a not so pleasant memory of BMH Iserlohn.
While attached to 22 Lt AD Regt RA in Dortmund, my wife went into labour........and a rapid trip to the hospital followed.
Unfortunatly my first born daughter only lived a few hours. I was on Ireland training at the time and arrived too late at the hospital to see her.

Whilst with my Father (Northamptonshire Regt) at Dortmund around 1959, I got injured playing football and was admitted to BMH Iserlohn, I recollect there were British and Canadian Medical/Nursing staff there, I recollect drinking Ferguzade, was that the Canadian equivalent of Lucozade?

Anyway I survived and went back to the British Forces School, Windsor Boys School, Hamm.

I know there is a HUGE U.S. Forces Hospital, near Frankfurt as US and Australian casualties from Afghanistan are transported there. Would the British forces in Afghanistan use the U.S. facility or would they be flown straight to UK? or a BMH in Germany?

As far as i know they come straight to the UK.

Beachley Boy wrote:

I know there is a HUGE U.S. Forces Hospital, near Frankfurt as US and Australian casualties from Afghanistan are transported there. Would the British forces in Afghanistan use the U.S. facility or would they be flown straight to UK? or a BMH in Germany?

Normally UK casualties are flown straight to the UK, I know on the odd occasion some of our casualties ended up at Ramstien when Iraq was still going on. For your info we don't have any BMHs left in Germany, the last one to close was Rinteln in the late nineties. BFG now use what they call DGPs (Dedicated German Practices) ie if you're unlucky enough to be stationed in 'Falling-Bar-Stool', Hohne or Celle you'll use the the hospitals in Hannover.

I lived in Hemer and was the medical sergeant in charge of casualty and reception at the BMH from 1976 to 1978. I wrote a book about the funny incidents I got myself into while in the army from 1956 – 1981. In the book are 20 pages of my time in Germany from 29 field Ambulance and BMH Iserlohn

Here is a snippet I placed on the Hemer NAAFI notice board, which will give you some idea of what the book is about.

For sale one crate of Herforder Pils at 1,250 deutschemarks or nearest offer. The crate is locked in the boot of a 1965 green V.W. beetle. The purchaser of the crate of beer can have the car for nothing.

Silky

[quote="John A Silkstone"]I lived in Hemer and was the medical sergeant in charge of casualty and reception at the BMH from 1976 to 1978.

I lived off Berliner Str., Hemer in the '70s.

Our neighbour worked in BMH Iserlohn, he died of a cardiac arrest. I think his name was Ted Williams-Smith.

Did you know him ?

Hi Brum, though you say the 70s I’m assuming that you mean the same time as I was there.

That was over 33 years ago and as you can imagine hundreds of people passed through our department per month, so attempting to remember one name of someone you didn’t know isn’t feasible.

The other thing is that anyone brought in with heart trouble would have gone straight to the wards, by passing my department and I would have sent one of the lads up to the ward to fill in the necessary documentation.

Sorry I can’t help.

Silky