Abbey Ruins was the address of this house from which the Visitors Book came

The Great War of 1914 to 1918 Picture Gallery of Bury St Edmunds and surrounds A Visitors Book   Picture Page 1 - Introductory extracts

A picture of some wounded soldiers who probably signed the Visitor Book. The distinctive collars on these uniforms identify them as "Hospital Blues". This special uniform identified them as wounded servicemen, gaining public appreciation when allowed out. First issued in the Crimean War and Boer wars, these were well established by 1914, made of blue flannel with a white lining. A red tie and white shirt completed the outfit, but one or two sizes fit all. Note that there were no pockets in these uniforms.	A picture of some wounded soldiers who probably signed the Visitor Book. Hospital Blues were issued to "other ranks" only. At convalescent facilities, there was strict division into four sections, each distinguished by combinations of the hospital-blue uniform and different-coloured armlets. The ‘worst cases’ wore hospital-blue with white armlets. Cases well enough for one to six months of retraining wore blue with pink armlets. Section three, including ranks who required less than one month of retraining, wore blue with light blue armlets. Finally, section four included men in blue with dark blue armlets who were ‘practically well’. Wounded Officers were only required to wear a white armband.	A picture of some wounded soldiers who probably signed the Visitor Book.
A picture of some wounded soldiers who probably signed the Visitor Book. The picture is of the same people as the picture above. However, this picture was not pasted into the book containing soldiers signatures. Instead, it was pasted into the normal Visitor Book for 1917, where some 23 people had taken short breaks here throughout 1917. One such name was Philip Lewis, who stayed from November 1st to the 3rd, and gave his address as "Flanders", and was very likely a serving soldier.	Abbey Ruins gardens extended into the remains of the medieval abbey, thus justifying its address. The people in the picture are the same as in the picture above.	A picture of some wounded soldiers who probably signed the Visitor Book. However, this picture was not pasted into the book containing soldiers signatures. Instead, it was pasted into the normal Visitor Book for 1916, where some 17 people had taken short breaks here throughout 1916.
The house called Abbey Ruins had run a small guesthouse business since at least 1902. Guests had signed in with an arriving and a leaving date, usually of a week's stay. This page shows the normal Visitors Book for 1916, with the holiday makers names, and shows where one picture of convalescent soldiers was pasted into empty space on the page.	This picture shows the superb gardens at the Abbey Ruins before the Great War. It shows why visitors would find a peaceful retreat here.	This page shows the normal Visitors Book for 1917, with the holiday makers names and times of stay and shows where another picture of convalescent soldiers was pasted into empty space on the page.
Paying Guests had always signed in with a starting and a leaving date, usually of a week's stay. At some point, possibly in 1917, they were also welcoming Saturday visitors who were recovering servicemen from local hospitals. These photographs imply that the men in the pictures had signed their names in the Visitor Book. This shows the first page of this book which starts without ceremony in the back of an old book previously used to collect autographs from the 1907 Pageant.	This picture shows how the remains of the abbey had been incorporated into the ornamental garden to the house. The house was occupied by Henry Donne, who was also the Land Agent for the Bristol Estate. It was Henry Donne who had allowed excavations in his garden in 1903 which revealed the graves of five abbots of the Abbey.	The second page of names from all parts of the allied army, with a facing photograph. The photos have been reproduced above in individual form. The pages of signatures are reproduced on the following two pages.

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The next two page show the signatures of soldiers and their units in the years of the Great War