Name Stone 15 Military Hospital L'Ocean Veurne

After the L’Océan army hospital in De Panne came under fire from German guns, it was decided to evacuate part the hospital to a safer location.
As a result, in June 1917 L’Océan-Vinkem or L’Océan 2 was set up here in Vinkem village. Dr. Depage, assisted by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, was the head of the new hospital. He used the nearby ‘De Torrelen’ farm as his office and sleeping quarters.
The tented hospital (the tents were replaced by wooden pavilions some months later) was specialized in heart, lung and abdominal surgery.
Between 1917 and 1919 some 426 patients died at L’ Océan 2.369 were soldiers of different nationalities, the remaining 57 were civilians. After the Armistice, the wooden pavilions were used to build part of a new hospital in Brussels.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Informatiebord
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge