The Express & Star of 10 August 1914 contained a small piece about a proposal to the Wolverhampton Board of Guardians. This was to offer 100 beds in the infirmary at New Cross Workhouse to the Government for the care and relief of the “sick and wounded who may be sent to Wolverhampton as the outcome of war operations”.
The Express & Star praised the local Guardians for this suggestion, and, in fact, suggested that this should be recommended to Boards of Guardians around the country. This indicates that this was a proactive move from Wolverhampton, very early on in the course of the First World War. The Express & Star is sure that many other infirmaries across the country “could accommodate in varying numbers sick and wounded from the fighting line, whether it be sea or land.”