Inside the hospital.

A wooden cabinet with glass doors, which contains crossed flags of the United States and The Union with a small plaque on the left side. Above the cabinet is a backlit stained glass which depicts the HMS Burnham ship.

USS Aulick (DD-258), renamed HMS Burnham was in part in honour of Burnham, Pennsylvania and Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. The destroyer began escort duties with the British Navy in December 1940. In early 1941, Burnham began a series of escort voyages between Iceland and Newfoundland. Burnham was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4-inch (102 mm)/50 caliber guns and three of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge stowage and installation of a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar. Throughout 1942 and 1943, Burnham worked mainly between Newfoundland and Londonderry Port, Derry, Northern Ireland. Burnham was assigned to Escort Group C-2 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force for convoys ON 113, HX 201, ON 119, SC 97, ON 129 and SC 102 and then to Escort Group C-3 for convoys ON 152, HX 221, ON 163, HX 226, ON 172, SC 124, ON 180 and HX 238 during the winter of 1942-43.

In 1942, Burnham was formally adopted by Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset, and after woollen comforts were gratefully received by the crew on board the ship from time to time. In 1944, she was used on aircraft training duties in the Western Approaches Command, which allowed a contingent from the ship to visit the Somerset town and march the streets.

Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://en.wikipedia.org

Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

Stained glass:

HMS BURNHAM H82 † EX USS AULICK DD258

NORTH ATLANTIC 1940-1944

Plaque:

This memorial cabinet

was donated by

Pollard

following the refurbishment

of the hospital in

2009 - 2010