page_title: Netley Hospital
section_title: World Wars
hierarchical_section_title: Netley Hospital / History / World Wars
caption_attribution_description: English: The interior of the chapel of the former Netley Hospital, now preserved as a visitor centre. Netley, Hampshire, England. Photo taken by me 2003-06-20.
context_page_description: The Royal Victoria Hospital or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from Florence Nightingale. Often visited by Queen Victoria, the hospital was extensively used during the First World War. It became the 28th US General Hospital during the invasion of mainland Europe in the Second World War. The main building – the world's longest building when it was completed – was entirely demolished in 1966, except for the chapel and former YMCA building which still survive. The extensive outbuildings, which once occupied a vast acreage of land to the rear of the main building, finally succumbed in 1978. The site of the hospital can be seen and explored in Royal Victoria Country Park.
  The hospital was situated within the larger area of land bounded by the River Itchen and River Hamble, particularly around Sholing that had become known locally as Spike Island. That term was subsequently used by wounded soldiers and prisoners of war to describe the location of the hospital.
context_section_description: During the First World War, a large Red Cross hutted hospital was built at the rear of the site, which expanded Netley Hospital to accommodate around 2,500 beds. Many of the staff were Red Cross volunteers, as most of the regular staff were overseas. Some 50,000 patients were treated at Netley during the war.
  Similar usage was seen during the Second World War, when around 68,000 casualties were treated. In June 1940, French soldiers from Dunkirk were treated here. In 1944, US Forces took over the hospital prior to D-Day.
caption: Interior of the hospital chapel serving as a visitor centre
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