Remembering Cornwall Park Hospital

[ErrolC]

There was an event in Cornwall Park (One Tree Hill, Auckland) last Sunday marking the establishment of the 39th US General Army Hospital in 1942. There was a speech by the US Consul, a salute by re-enactors from the Historical Re-enactment Society, and dancing! Lovely day too, I took the dog up for a walk (not that me walking the dog in Cornwall Park is unusual).

Well done everyone involved.

www.flickr.com/photos/errolgc/sets/72157632719791725/


Cornwall13_6889fl by errolgc, on Flickr


Cornwall13_6879fl by errolgc, on Flickr


Cornwall13_6905fl by errolgc, on Flickr

[dakman]

Thanks Errolc I can almost hear Glen Millar /In the mood / etc perhaps the idea might be picked up on here in the capital

[Dave Homewood]

Hey that's Bruce Stewart! Good on him. He is always at the Armistice in Cambridge events and last time I saw him was the Warbird Open Day on December 9th in full WWII RAF pilot's uniform.

[ErrolC]

Oh yes, Bruce is at all sorts of events. We had a brief chat.

[raymond]

Ha It became National Womens I was born there....

[shorty]

I went to Avondale College which was built as a US Navy Hospital (but never used as such)
Supposedly to handle the expected wounded from the invasion of Japan.

[Dave Homewood]

I have talked to a couple of veterans who spent time at Cornwall Park, which was a NZ Army Camp and a transit camp for part of the war at least.

[kevsmith]

Errol

Pardon my corrections but the hospital was the 39th General not 79th and it became the "Cornwall Hospital" not "cornwall park hospital" after the Americans moved out (move out started in 1944)
I had a close interest in this as I grew up in Maungakiekie Ave from early 1948 to late 1965 and the Hospital area was extremely well known to our family. Maungakiekie Ave formed the closest residential boundary to Cornwall Park in the vicinity of the hospital.

Rgds

[ErrolC]

Thanks for the correction! I had it right in the photo tags, but got it wrong in the Set name and post description.