The Reconstruction of Warriors: Archibald Mcindoe, the Royal Air Force and the Guinea Pig Club FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Second World War produced a unique band of heroes: a small international group of men that were uniquely celebrated and lauded for their remarkable courage. The group was the so-called Guinea Pig Club, and its 647 survivors included British, Canadian, Czech, and Polish airmen. Before the war, no one had anticipated airmen would survive midair fires. Consequently, provision for their care was virtually nonexistent. Their rehabilitation was placed in the hands of one plastic surgeon named Archibald McIndoe at a hospital in East Grinsted in the south of England. McIndoe quickly constructed a medical infrastructure from scratch. After arguing with his superiors, he set up a revolutionary new treatment regime. Uniquely concerned with holistic care, McIndoe also enlisted the help of the local civilian population. He rightly secured his patients a place in society as Allied war heroes. The Canadian government was so impressed with his work that it funded a Canadian wing at the hospital.
Author Biography: E. R. Mayhew is the narrator of a forthcoming BBC documentary on the Guinea Pig Club and was a key advisor on an award-winning Canadian documentary.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
The aerial battles of World War II produced many casualties suffering from severe burns, for which there was inadequate preparation. Previously, the death rate for such injuries had been high, but Dr. Archibald McIndoe utilized new plastic-surgery techniques to mend the injured fliers. With RAF support, he established a special hospital at East Grinstead (now the Queen Victoria Hospital) in the south of England and used what we would call holistic methods to treat their emotional as well as physical scars. He recruited the nearby citizenry to create a therapeutic social environment for the men. This well-documented work contains many excerpts from accounts of those who were a part of this groundbreaking effort. The author, whose mother was a nurse at the hospital, was the historical consultant for the BBC documentary The Guinea Pig Club (the nickname given to McIndoe's patients). An inspiring story about the good that people can accomplish in rough situations; suitable for all collections.-Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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