Eastbourne’s history as a World War One convalescent camp in pictures

By Julia Northcott

Published 4th Jan 2022, 15:10 GMT

Updated 5th Jan 2022, 09:08 GMT

Summerdown Camp was a convalescent camp for wounded soldiers in WWI in Eastbourne, and in 2015 there was a special exhibition at the Pavilion, Royal Parade, showing off photographs and artefacts.

The exhibition ran for six months of that year to commemorate the centenary of the camp opening in 1915.

Summerdown Camp was one of the first of such convalescent establishments, and by 1919 had treated around 150,000 soldiers.

Photographer Mark Dimmock visited the exhibition in 2015 and took these photographs.

•Here’s something else you might like: 16 pictures of Eastbourne in its heyday

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Sleeping Hut SUS-150319-064307001

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Billiard Room SUS-150319-064319001

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Camp Outing SUS-150319-064333001

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Workshop SUS-150319-064345001

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Theatre Group SUS-150319-064358001

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Almeric Paget Massage Corps with wounded soldiers SUS-150319-064411001

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Billiard Room SUS-150319-064319001

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Camp Outing SUS-150319-064333001

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Workshop SUS-150319-064345001

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Theatre Group SUS-150319-064358001