Surrey Photo Gallery - Museum of Military Medicine

This small but interesting museum is located inside Keogh Barracks near Farnborough. A security check to enter the barracks is required with photo identification, followed by a short walk to a building beyond the gates for the exhibits. The museum traces the history of military medicine over several hundred years until the building ran out of room for more, as the friendly staff put it. During the English Civil Wars and Interregnum in the 17th century, permanent nursing staff were working at 3 military hospitals in London. During the Peninsular War in the early 1800s, getting the wounded fom the battlefield to the hospital was already a difficult task in itself. Medical services improved as the 19th century progressed. Soldiers with first aid training were recruited into the army's hospital corps although there was still no formal nursing service. This scene depicts a nurse taking care of a typhoid fever victim during the Anglo-Boer War. As the army continued its campaigns in Africa, nurses were recruited into the army. Vetrinary officers were also on hand to maintain horses as they were the main transport mode. During World War I, soldiers began to suffer from dental problems as there was no dental service. Many medical staff were rewarded for bravery during the war, including nurses. The exhibition route follows chronological order around the building, with World War II next. This is a typical dental surgery setup during the 1940s and 50s. Heading into the modern era, there were a number of wars that British troops participated in.