29th August

1939

Wartime arrangements: papers NHNN/A/54

Letter to Captain Styles (Chairman)

Dear Sir,

I feel I must write to explain and to apologise for Saturday’s actions.

Sector 9 had been told (with Mr Hamilton’s knowledge) that apparatus that I use could be sent to that Sector, provided I used some as I was acting as pathologist in that Sector. I am on holiday and was asked to return on Saturday morning last, which I did. When I arrived I found that my assistant had been told to pack all our apparatus. During the morning I received a phone call saying that the Medical Research Council had authorised Sector 9 to send its apparatus to Epsom College (this action being taken under the Ministry of Health).

I have told Dr Greenfield and Dr Carmichael but the Secretary was not present, and the Assistant Secretary had left. I was left with the task of agreeing to send the apparatus at once. I felt in view of the Emergency I could do nothing else than that which I did. Hence the apparatus was removed. The bursar was not at Epsom but a waiter accepted it and locked it up. Since then I have obtained a receipt, and we are preparing a full list of the apparatus sent which will be accepted by the Sector in so far that the Ministry have accepted claims for losses and damages.

I regret to have caused any inconvenience, and to have been unable to fulfil all the conditions I would have taken if time had not been a factor. I felt I merely did what was possible, realising this did not approach the ideal.

Again with apologies,

Yours faithfully,

John H. Cummings

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On This Day is a diary of day to day life in the Hospital covering 1859 to the 1940’s.

Extracts are taken from the staff records, letters, the reports of the Matron and the Lady Superintendent, and the minutes of the Board of Management and the Medical Committee. They were compiled with the help of Janet Townsend, Frankie Alves, Louise Shepherd, Michael Clark and Liz Yamada

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