RNH Bighi
Encyclopedia
RNH Bighi, also known as Bighi Hospital, was a major naval hospital located in the small town of Kalkara
on the island of Malta
. It served the eastern Mediterranean in the 19th and 20th centuries and, in conjunction with the RN Memorial Hospital at Imtarfa
, contributed to the nursing and medical care of casualties whenever hostilities occurred in the Mediterranean.
on 23 March 1830.
The design of Bighi Hospital is generally attributed to Colonel (later Major General) Sir George Whitmore (1775–1862) who headed the Royal Engineers
between 1811 and 1829
The works were completed on 24 September 1832, at a total cost of £20,000. The West and East Wings' architecture is in the modern Doric style
and built with high floors.
The Surgical (also known as the General Hospital Block) and the Zymotic Blocks were built in 1901 and 1903 respectively.
. During the Second World War, the Hospital was well within the target area of the heavy bombing since it was surrounded by military establishments. A number of its buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the x-ray theatre, the East and West Wings, the Villa and the Cot Lift from the Bighi Jetty to the Hospital. Among several Doctors and nurses of renown to serve here were Doris Beale
DBE.
In 1977 parts of the building were occupied by the former Senglea Trade School while other sections accommodated a secondary school.
Kalkara
Il-Kalkara is a small picturesque village in Malta, with a population of 2,856 . The name is derived from the Latin word for lime , and it is believed that there was a lime kiln present there since Roman times. Kalkara forms part of the inner harbour area and occupies the area around Kalkara Creek...
on the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. It served the eastern Mediterranean in the 19th and 20th centuries and, in conjunction with the RN Memorial Hospital at Imtarfa
RNH Mtarfa
The Royal Navy Hospital Mtarfa was a United Kingdom naval hospital in Mtarfa, Malta. It was the main hospital for British Forces in the eastern Mediterranean until the British finally left the independent Malta in 1979....
, contributed to the nursing and medical care of casualties whenever hostilities occurred in the Mediterranean.
Construction
The foundation stone was laid by Vice Admiral Sir Pulteney MalcolmPulteney Malcolm
Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm GCB GCMG was a British naval officer. He was born at Douglan, near Langholm, Scotland, on 20 February 1768, the third son of George Malcolm of Burnfoot, Langholm, in Dumfriesshire, and his wife Margaret, the sister of Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley...
on 23 March 1830.
The design of Bighi Hospital is generally attributed to Colonel (later Major General) Sir George Whitmore (1775–1862) who headed the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
between 1811 and 1829
The works were completed on 24 September 1832, at a total cost of £20,000. The West and East Wings' architecture is in the modern Doric style
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
and built with high floors.
The Surgical (also known as the General Hospital Block) and the Zymotic Blocks were built in 1901 and 1903 respectively.
Service
Bighi Hospital contributed to the nursing and medical care of casualties whenever hostilities occurred in the Mediterranean, making Malta "the nurse of the Mediterranean". During the First World War, RNH Bighi accommodated a very large number of casualties from the DaradanellesBattle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
. During the Second World War, the Hospital was well within the target area of the heavy bombing since it was surrounded by military establishments. A number of its buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the x-ray theatre, the East and West Wings, the Villa and the Cot Lift from the Bighi Jetty to the Hospital. Among several Doctors and nurses of renown to serve here were Doris Beale
Doris Beale
Dame Doris Winifred Beale, DBE, RRC and Bar was a British nurse, and Matron-in-Chief of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service for three years during the Second World War...
DBE.
Closure and Subsequent Site Usage
In 1967, during the second rundown of the British services and their employees in Malta, Bighi Hospital was on the brink of closing down. On 17 September 1970 Bighi was closed down indefinitely.In 1977 parts of the building were occupied by the former Senglea Trade School while other sections accommodated a secondary school.
External links
- Annotated Map on WikiMapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
http://wikimapia.org/1971530/ (RNH Bighi is anotated as Bighi Complex (Kalkara)) Bighi Complex (Kalkara) - Villa Bighi – Origins and History
- List of hospitals and hospital ships of the Royal Navy
- Former nurse Julia Massey recalls RNH Bighi in the 70s. Audio and transcript "Picture card of a place" RNH Bighi, Malta 1970s