Guest akasha7 Posted 19 August , 2003 Share Posted 19 August , 2003 my great grandad was stationed somewhere in france, he was driving an army vehicle one day when a bomb either hit or went of near-by, he was left with shrapnel in his back and was brought back to england for 'experimental surgery'. Unfortunatly he never woke up from the operation, it was 1921 when he died. I would like to know if there was a particular hospital in england that did that kind of operation and if the army keeps its medical records as i would like to trace what happened to him once he got back to britain, any help would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 19 August , 2003 Share Posted 19 August , 2003 Very few medical records are still in existence though the NA/PRO has a seemingly random selection of material from a small number of UK hospitals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 19 August , 2003 Share Posted 19 August , 2003 Have you obtained a death certificate ? This would presumably give place and cause of death. Sorry - I don't actually know how you do this but I guess one of the many books on tracing family trees would explain. Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 20 August , 2003 Share Posted 20 August , 2003 Akasha, Do you know where your grandfather lived? If so, the local paper for the area may have carried obituary notices and perhaps a report on the funeral which may well provide some clues. 'Experimental surgery' could mean anything. Plastic surgery had been pioneered in wartime, and there were major advances in many branches of medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 20 August , 2003 Share Posted 20 August , 2003 There is a website devoted to the development of plastic surgery in WW1 at: http://website.lineone.net/~andrewbamji/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 20 August , 2003 Share Posted 20 August , 2003 I would suggest that you [or someone on your behalf] do a search for his service record at the PRO/NA. If he was injured during the war, and didn't die until 1921, it would seem likely that he was discharged on medical grounds at some time during that period. If this is the case then there is a very good chance that at least some bits of his service record survive in WO364, and may contain good information about the course of his travels following injury. You could well find details of all his admissions, transfers, and at least basic details of surgery carried out while he was still a patient within the Army system [although probably not afterwards]. And although I have no reference for saying this, it seems that the Army Medical Service were very interested in the 'experimental' at that time - in order, I must add, to increase their own knowledge of treating the unique wounds received in battle, either physical or mental. So anything 'experimental' could well have been carried out at a military establishment - Netley Hospital being the place that springs to mind more than any other. Regards - Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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