Miscellaneous

The Freedom of the City of London parchment certificate awarded to the New Zealand born pioneering plastic surgeon Sir A. H. McIndoe C.B.E., F.R.C.S., who greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned R.A.F. aircrew during the Second World War and with whose support, his patients formed the ‘Guinea Pig Club’ mutual support network Freedom of the City of London parchment certificate, named to ‘Sir Archibald Hector McIndoe, Kt., C.B.E., Citizen and Pattenmaker of London’ in the Mayoralty of ‘Sir Denis Henry Truscott, Kt., T.D.’ dated 19 March 1958, contained in its red card envelope inscribed Copy of Freedom - City of London, together with ‘Rules for the Conduct of Life’, a booklet which accompanied the Freedom of the City, these in very good condition and also together with two books: Faces from the Fire. The Biography of Sir Archibald McIndoe by Leonard Mosley, 269 pp. hardback; and The Guinea Pig Club by Edward Bishop. 125 pp. softback., good condition (4) £100-£140 --- Knight Bachelor London Gazette 12 June 1947: ‘Archibald Hector McIndoe, Esq., C.B.E., M.S., M.Sc., F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S., Civilian Consultant in Plastic Surgery to the Royal Air Force.’ C.B.E. London Gazette 8 June 1944: ‘Archibald Hector McIndoe, Esq., M.S., M.Sc., F.R.C.S., Civilian Consultant to the Royal Air Force in Plastic Surgery.’ Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta London Gazette 5 June 1945. Archibald Hector McIndoe was born in Dunedin on 4 May 1900, the son of John McIndoe, founder of a successful printing firm, and of Mabel, née Hill, well known in her own right as singer and artist, and sister of Alfred Hill, composer and musician. He was educated at the Otago Boys' High School, and the University of Otago. After graduation he held a house surgeon appointment at the Waikato Hospital in Hamilton and then secured the first fellowship at the Mayo Clinic granted to New Zealand. In 1930, McIndoe moved to London and came under the influence of a relative, also a New Zealander, Sir Harold Gillies, who was at that time creating the new speciality of plastic surgery at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. McIndoe became his assistant at St. Bartholomew's and joined him in partnership in private practice as a plastic surgeon. In 1938 McIndore was appointed a consultant in plastic surgery to the Royal Air Force and on the outbreak of war he became surgeon in charge of the now famous plastic and jaw injury centre at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. A brilliant and quick surgeon, McIndoe soon went from strength to strength in his speciality, developing new techniques for treating badly burned faces and hands; and in his remarkable “Guinea-pig Club” he brought into play all his powers of enlisting the full psychological co-operation of his patients in their rehabilitation. Before long he had won international recognition for his work. He was created a C.B.E. in 1944 and after the war he received a number of British and foreign honours, including the Commander of the Legion of Honour (France), Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia), Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland) and Commander of the Order of Nassau (Holland). He was knighted in 1947. McIndoe was a great leader of men, an inspiring teacher and had a great warmth of personality. He died suddenly in London on 12 April 1960.