"Somewhere in England"

Earlier this year on the 29th June, a memorial was dedicated to the former Second World War, US Army’s 52nd General Hospital in the Parish church of St. John the Baptist Wolverley. The day’s events were recorded on camera, ensuring that a visual record of the occasion will be available for future generations of Wolverley people.

Using much of the film taken that day, a DVD has now been produced with the help of Roger Jordan, and other members of the Wyre Forest Camcorder Club. The former winner of BBC Midlands Today’s, Young Reporter of the Year, Jo Grant, narrates the film, which is sponsored by Gastight Services

Our film begins in the peaceful setting of Wolverley village and moves to the site of the former hospital. This is followed by a brief history of the 52nd using numerous still photographs, documents and newspaper cuttings, interviews with people who were there, and colour film taken by Lt. Col. Richard S. Farr at Camp Wolverley in 1944.

Then our film moves to the present day with scenes and comments of some of those who came to take part. Watch the Spitfire and Hurricane fly low over Wolverley adding their own magic to this special occasion. This is followed by the parade of dignitaries and the 28 standards that were on parade that day.

Next we see exerts from the colourful church ceremony and the unveiling of the memorial plaque.

Our film ends in the nearby memorial hall as the local Women’s Institute entertains everyone with a selection of wartime sketches and songs.

The DVD runs for 42 minutes and costs £6.50 each, the proceeds will be donated to local charities and organisations. At the moment copies can be obtained from The Lock Inn, The Queens Head and the Costcutter store in Sebright Rd Wolverley. Copies of the DVD can also be purchased from Kidderminster Library. Alternatively people can contact Mike Webster on 01562 636245, by e-mail at; mike2005@blueyonder.co.uk and through our sponsor...

Gastight Services 01562 850761 

Once In a Lifetime Trip

We are George and Jackie Keselowsky from Lutz, Florida, USA. We would like to express our tremendous appreciation to all who made our recent trip to Wolverley a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience! George’s parents met and fell in love while stationed at the 52nd General Hospital located in Wolverley during World War II. His mother, Doris McKenzie, was a Registered Nurse and 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army while his father, George Keselowsky, was a medic and enlisted man! Of course, officers and enlisted men were not allowed to fraternize, but the romance flourished and they were married in 1946.

George and Mike Webster, of Wolverley, first made contact about five years ago as they were both researching the 52nd General Hospital. Through their combined efforts, George’s mother was able to communicate again with a dear friend she had made in England - Miss Elizabeth Lea. We were grateful that they were able to exchange a few letters before each passed away within a few months of each other.

We were thrilled to be invited to the dedication of a memorial to the 52nd General Hospital that Mike had worked for so long and industriously. From the moment we arrived, we were incredibly impressed with the people involved in the dedication, and the kindness shown us at every turn! At the ‘40s night festivities at The Queen’s Head, George seemed never to be without a pint being provided to him! The camaraderie, music and fun allowed us to picture what it might have been like in the ‘40s when that same pub surely was packed out with American GIs!

Sunday, June 29th - what a memorable day!! As the Spitfire and Hurricane did their flypasts, we couldn’t help but be inspired to think of Churchill’s words about the pilots in the Battle of Britain - ‘Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.’ Every aspect of the memorial dedication was very moving and emotional for us, from the parade to the church through the ceremony in the church, and afterwards at the Memorial Hall where the WI put on a wonderful performance! We were so impressed with the people who thought it important to attend - including Col. Ray Watters, the representative of the U.S. ambassador; Dr. Richard Taylor, the local Member of Parliament; and the four outstanding young men who were the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard from Mildenhall. We were equally impressed with the number of local citizens who also thought it important to remember and honor a group of people who were located in their village so many years ago!

Had Doris and George been present, they would certainly have been a bit self-conscious. They were not pretentious people and would have felt that they had just been doing their jobs.

While facts may speak for themselves, many are too often lost in time. The dedicated work of the 52nd General Hospital yielded 10,000 battle casualties ministered with virtually no loss of life. Now that those remaining of the 52nd as well as the combat wounded they saved are few, their memory was destined to be lost. The memorial plaque has changed that. Thank you, Mike Webster.

We also spent time immersing ourselves in your beautiful village, including walking along the canal, and wandering the acreage where the campsite was. It allowed us to reflect on the sights and experiences that George’s parents must have had more than 60 years ago. We must, of course, extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful hosts, Mike and Lynn Webster, and to all of their family and friends who could not have been nicer to us. This trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and was truly priceless!