During the war in De Panne a Red Cross hospital known as Hospital L'Océan originated in December 1914, by Dr Antoine Depage and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Initially with 200 beds by the end of the First World War this had increased considerably to 1800 beds. 1/5

A memorial stone stands at the sea front in De Panne to the hospital, however one building survives to this day. Villa Belle-Vue, during the war patients suffering with contagious diseases were placed here, a distant away from other buildings of the hospital. 2/5

The therapeutic use of sunlight was used here for the injured, along with what was originally known as the Carrel-Dakin solution applied for the first time on a large scale at the hospital. 3/5

The progresses made at this hospital should never be underestimated, so much so that De Panne saw medical missions from across the world studying the techniques used. A mention should also be made to Antoine's wife Marie Depage, who raised much needed funds for the hospital. 4/5

In 1915 on a fund raising mission in America, Marie returned on the ill fated RMS Lusitania. Her body was eventually recovered, brought back to De Panne, laid to rest on the sea front where Antoine could see her each day. Exhumed after the war & laid to rest in Brussels. 5/5