Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 4. p713

A SOLDIERS' GARDEN

Rest and Recreation at Erlimount.

T o th os e t o w hose lo t it fa lls , in th e m id st o f the
tu rm oil o f th e world war, t o stay behind in th e quiet
and p ea ce o f o u r b ea u tifu l England, th e r e is
assuredly n o task (a lth ou g h in th e case t o w hich we
are a b o u t t o r e fe r it is m ore a case o f d e lig h t and
pleasure th an a ta s k ) m ore a p p ro p ria te , m o re un
selfish, o r m ore n o b le th a n th e provision o f amusement,
entertainment and q u ie t refuge fo r th e boys
w h o h a ve fo u g h t or are figh ting fo r th e ir country.
I t is certa in t h a t th ere is n o task m ore tru ly
“ w orth w h ile,” and it is equa lly ce rta in th a t n o
on e has p erform ed t h a t delig h tfu l ta sk m ore th o r
ou gh ly o r in a m ore orig in a l and a t t r a c tiv e m anner
than Colonel Frank Weldon , o f Erlimount, Reading,
w h o has th row n open his grounds th r o u g h o u t the
y ea r t o officers and m en, w ou n ded and in training,
h om e and imperial, and also t o V .A .D . nurses, h a v
ing first con verted them in to a soldiers'€™ paradise.
In th e m idst o f a coppice in th e grounds is a hut,
and h ere fro m 40 t o 50 soldiers from th e v a riou s war
hospita ls and o th e rs are in v ite d on each day in the
w eek. M on day is officers'€™ day , on Tuesday V .A .D .
nurses are invited , on Wednesday Canadians from
Bear Wood v is it th e h u t, on Thursday th e officers
com e again, Friday is th e d a y fo r wounded soldiers
from overseas, w hile on Saturda y troops s tation ed in
Readin g are in vited . On Sunday a m eeting is c o n
du cted. T h e v is ito rs €™ tra n s it is fa c ilita te d by i v e
kindness o f M r. G. F. Craven, th e manager o f th e
Reading Corporation Tramways, w h o has arranged
fo r free tick ts t o b e given t o all soldiers w h o wish
t o g o t o Erlimount and th e re are m a n y ! Tea is
ta k e n , ping-pong and o th e r gam es are p layed, and
ou tsid e th e h u t th e re are a multitude o f attractions.
Cricket, football, bowls, quoits and a pastime known
as German skittles, a rifle range, rounders and baseball
are fa v o u r ite re cre a tio n s.
One o f th e m ost
fa s cin a tin g diversions is th e swing. I t is no ordinary
sw ing, indeed, it is a unique swing, and it is
an invention fro m th e fertile brain o f Col. Weldon.
B u t th e r e is a n o th e r in ven tion o f Col. Weldon w hich
has been o f in e stim a b le va lu e and re lie f t o ou r
w ou n d ed . I t is he w h o has devised th a t b o o n t o war
hospitals€” th e curved -base crutch .
A still fu rth er
p e r fe ctio n o f th e crutch in ven ted b y Col. Weldon is
the seat-crutch . A strip o f wood is carried on the
crutch , and when th e patient requires a rest he can
p lace this strip across th e supports o n each side,
thus making a seat upon w hich h e can rest f o r an
in d efinite tim e in co m fo rt.
In every c o n ce iv a b le w ay th e c o m fo r t and h a p p i
ness o f o u r gallant w ounded heroes has been, and
con tin u es t o be, stu died b y Col. W eldon and his
in d e fa tig a b le assistants, Miss W eldon and Mrs. Hartcup. T o any soldier w h o h as been e n tertain ed a t
Erlimoun t w e w ould say w ith Bairnsfather, " I f you
knows of a better 'ole, go to it . "

These men have been repatriated from Germany.
W h a t a c o n t r a s t b e t w e e n t h e h o r r o r of
Hun prison camp and Colonel Weldon's beautiful garden !

Happy Canadians forgetting their wounds in the delight of the Soldiers' Garden at Erlimount, Reading, the residence of Colonel Frank Weldon .

Australians and men from Reading War Hospital .
At the back is the supporting pole of the wonderful swing invented by Colonel Weldon, w h o is seen on t he r i g h t seat ed on t he "rest" crutches , also his o w n i n v e n t i o n .