Dear Listers, I apologise if you get this several times. It was on a couple of other lists I subscribe to and seems too good a resource to miss. best wishes, Jeanne >Subject: Amazing find of WW1 personnel records > > > > Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup, UK: The Gillies Archives of plastic >surgery > > > > Purely by accident, I have discovered an amazing archive of WW1 >personnel > > material, which hitherto I have never seen listed as a source for >research. > > For years I have been trying to locate the admission and discharge >records > > of a particular Cottage Hospital in the 1930's. Two weeks ago, I >discovered > > that they were located at The Gillies Archives of plastic surgery at >Queen > > Mary's Hospital Sidcup, UK. > > > > I had to make an appointment to view the records that I was seeking but >to > > my amazement I discovered the main contents of the archives were the >case > > notes of military personnel who suffered facial injuries during WW1. I > > mentioned that I had a member of my family who had a war wound to his >jaw > > and within seconds of me giving his name, his medical records were >produced > > with details of his age, rank, regiment, date of wound and the battle, > > together with the dates and nature of his operations. To my >astonishment, >I > > was then informed that they had further information on my relative, in >as > > much that whilst he was in the hospital for treatment he had learned > > embroidery and they showed me a photograph of his handiwork, which was > > embroidery of his regimental cap badge and colours. > > > > They have thousands of photographs of their WW1 patients, many taken >before > > they were wounded, but mostly of their wounds and the result after > > treatment. The archivist is keen to obtain photographs of ex-patients >after > > they had settled back into civilian life. > > > > Altogether the archives contain over 2500 records of UK, Australian and >New > > Zealand personnel. Most of the case notes are in their original folders >and > > relate mostly to soldiers, with a small number of Navy and Flying Corps > > personnel, whom had suffered burns. The records include rank, number, > > regiment and date of wounding so that the action in which they were >wounded > > can often be identified. > > > > I am informed that The Gillies and Macalister Archives are probably the >most > > important and complete collection of facial surgery records of their age >in > > the world and they are available to researchers by application to the > > Curator, details of which are on the following website: - > >http://website.lineone.net/~andrewbamji/> > > > > I hope this information may of use to some WW1 researchers who are >currently > > unaware of this research source. > > > > Glyndwr (Glyn) Davies, > > Chatham, Kent, UK. > >