GUINEA PIG CLUB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Anaesthetist for Archibald McIndoe - Founder Member
Russell Davies (Third from Left) with all the founding members of the Guinea Pig Club July 1941 During WW2 he was a vital member of Archibald McIndoe's plastic surgery operating team, helping carry out pioneering surgery on burnt airmen and crew, assisting the senior anaesthetist Doctor John Hunter. Early life
The most important person behind this story was Sir Benjamin Rycroft, who worked at the Queen Victoria Hospital after the end of the Second World War. Rycroft was born in 1902, and trained as an ophthalmologist (a doctor who specialises in working with the eyes). When war broke out in 1939, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving as an adviser in ophthalmology to the Army in both North Africa and Italy. For his work during the war he was awarded an O.B.E.
By 1949, Rycroft started working in a new Corneo-Plastic Department at the Hospital, which was set up with ten beds and an Ophthalmic Sister to assist with his work. Despite the increased publicity for his work, Rycroft was affected by a lack of donors for any procedures largely due to restrictive laws on the donation of body parts for medical purposes. These laws placed the decision for donation with the person's next of kin, ignoring the donor's wishes, as in law, the dead body has no property.
Sir Benjamin Rycroft introducing Mr Harry Coveney to HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Thanks to Rycroft's work, Coveney was able to drive a car.
A copy of the Memorial Service Programme for Sir Benjamin Rycroft, which was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor on 2nd May 1967
I was delighted when my daughter-in-law sent me this story about my late father,Sir Benjamin Rycroft . Although i visited the hospital with him many times years
ago I regret I did not know there is a museum there,in which he rightly features. My father, brilliantly talented though he was ,was also very modest and never sought the limelight or publicity for himself. He was extremely kind to everyone and a loving and wonderful father and I miss him greatly and always will.
I well remember our trips down to East Grinstead on Christmas Days when he would take the family to help feed the blind patients who were too ill to go home.