British Modern Military History Society

THE next meeting of the British Modern Military History Society will take place at Woodcote village hall on Wednesday, November 15 at 7.30pm.

Dr Emily Mayhew will speak about the Guinea Pig Club, a unique organisation of 649 injured Second World War servicemen, all of whom had unexpectedly survived serious burns.

They owed their lives to a maverick surgeon, Sir Archibald McIndoe, who pioneered both surgical treatment and a unique concern with holistic care of the patients at his hospital.

Both survival, recovery and remarkable long lives were secured at the hospital, allowing many of the patients to return to service until the end of the war.

The Guinea Pig Club provided a model for the best kind of long-term casualty care of the weapon-wounded of war and has significantly influenced casualty provision for today’s cohort.

Dr Mayhew is a military medical historian specialising in the study of severe casualty, its infliction, treatment and long-term outcomes in 20th and 21st century warfare.

She is historian in residence in the department of bioengineering, working primarily with the researchers and staff of the Centre for Injury Studies.

Entry cost is just £8, which includes refreshments (beer, wine, soft drinks). There will be a facility to pay by cash or card on the door.