Archibald Hector McINDOE 1900–1960

Who’s Who in Orthopedics

suade the giants of industry and commerce to con- tribute to the rebuilding and upkeep of the College.

Archie, as he was affectionately known to all his friends, was a great plastic surgeon and teacher. But he was also the most likeable of men, with an infinite capacity for enjoying life in the company of every stratum of society. Honors were given to him in abundance but, though accepted with obvious delight, they never altered his delightful character. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues all over the world—and not least by his patients, especially the badly burnt Royal Air Force boys of the Second World War, who banded together to form the Guinea Pig Club, which met annually at East Grinstead under his presidency.

Archibald McIndoe died peacefully in his sleep from a coronary occlusion on April 12, 1960, at the age of 59.

226

Archibald Hector McINDOE

1900–1960

McIndoe was born in New Zealand, qualified in medicine at the University of Otago and did his postgraduate training in surgery at the Mayo Clinic, for which for the remainder of his life he had the greatest affection and admiration. Later he came to London and joined his cousin, Sir Harold Gillies, the great pioneer of plastic surgery, who outlived him by a few months.

Within a short time he was on the staff of St Bartholomew’s Hospital and his future in London was secure; indeed, for the last 20 years of his life, he was probably the most successful surgeon in any speciality in the metropolis.

He was a great friend of orthopedic surgery.

During the Second World War he was consultant in plastic surgery to the Royal Air Force. The writer became closely associated with him in the problems presented by burns combined with frac- tures, and in the management of patients with extensive skin and bone loss. This work, which started in Royal Air Force hospitals and at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, was continued at the latter hospital until his death.

On his election to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he became intensely interested in the College, of which he had just ceased to be senior vice president when he died. There was little doubt that he would have been the next president and the first New Zealander to hold the highest order in British surgery. His loss is a sore one for, among his many qualities, was an outstanding ability to per-

George Kenneth McKEE

1906–1991

Ken McKee, a pioneer of joint replacement surgery, was born at Ilford, Essex, the son of a medical practitioner who had migrated from Northern Ireland at the turn of the century. McKee was educated at Chigwell School and St.

Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College. He

then came under the influence of Elmslie, Higgs

and Brockman at Chailey Heritage; proceeding to

FRCS in 1934. McKee was appointed registrar at