THE journey made by wounded First World War soldiers from Chippenham train station to the town hall hospital was re-created yesterday (Nov 5).

The re-enactment, which saw staff from Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre and local historians wear genuine First World War uniforms, marked the centenary of the first soldier’s arrival to the town.

As in 1915, the wounded soldier stepped from the town’s railway station at 4.34pm yesterday (Nov 5) before travelling by ambulance to the town’s Red Cross hospital.

The scene caused quite a crowd at the train station before travelling to what is now the Neeld Community and Arts Centre and town hall where the wards were set up.

The event was designed to support the launch of a new history exhibition in the Yelde Hall which concentrates on Chippenham’s temporary wartime hospital, Unity and Loyalty.

The hospital treated 1,872 patients between 1915 and April 1919 with only two military deaths recorded, both from pneumonia, but four nurses died during the course of service.

Mayor David Powell said: “It was the council at that time that volunteered the hospital in 1914 because they thought it would be over by Christmas.

“The town council is really proud of the superb work of our Museum and Heritage Centre staff and we hope it will be of interest to all our citizens.

“This is an important moment in our history, you could say it was one of Chippenham’s finest hours, and we should celebrate it.”

The exhibition, which runs until the end of April 2016, explores how townspeople spontaneously came together and acted to support the hospital and the compassion shown to injured soldiers, many from across the globe.

An £8,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant is covering the cost of staging the exhibition, research and displays which focuses on the civilian women and men who worked, volunteered and helped at the hospital.

Museum curator Melissa Barnett said: “It will commemorate and honour all those civilians who came together to support the hospital and care for injured soldiers and patients during World War I.

“We will be focusing on the women’s lives and how the war shaped their day to day existence.

“We will also be exploring a rarely researched angle of the non-combatant men, such as ambulance drivers, caretakers and teenaged volunteers.”