The
Carmichael Family - those who went to war 3
As
early as 1917, it was recognised that war neuroses accounted for one in seven
of all personnel discharged for disabilities from the British Army. Once wounds
were excluded, emotional disorders were responsible for one in three of all
discharges. The British Government realised that treatment for neurasthenia
was required in order to restore the maximum number of men to duty as quickly
as possible. It was with this understanding that Craiglockhart War Hospital
opened its doors in 1916.
Henry continued his work as Head Gardener at the newly requisitioned War Hospital.
The twelve acres of gardens and the adjacent wooded hill surrounding the hospital
kept Henry busy. Henry would also have been responsible for the maintenance
of the tennis courts, croquet lawns, archery-grounds and bowling greens which
remained at Craiglockhart following its time as a Hydropathic. The croquet lawns
were of a particularly high standard and were used to host Scottish Tournament
matches, the Scottish Championship Medal and the Macfie Prize.
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