Killearn Hospital was one of five commisioned in 1938 in preparation for the war. Building started in 1939 and also complete in 1941 in time for the air raids on Clydebank and other Clydeside towns, which could be seen and heard in Killearn.

Local people had been asked to assist in getting the hospital ready to meet the emergency. As well as air raid casualties it was used for treatment of sick and wounded servicemen, injured seamen from convoys arriving in the Clyde, essential war workers, pensioners and Prisoners-of-War. It played an important part in the Clyde Valley Scheme for urgent treatment and care of war workers and was also used for emergency cases from the surrounding population.

The hospital had close links with Glasgow Western Infirmary but had several special units of its own. The orthopaedic and neurosurgical units were famous throughout Scotland, the latter being transferred to the Southern General Hospital.

The hospital was desgined to provide 640 emergeny beds, but after the War its total bed complement was 404.

The distance from Glasgow casued problems with the transportation of emergency cases and of visitors and nursing staff.

The hospital was eventually abandoned in the early 1970's.