Being Accepted at the Pub!

Heroes Remember

Being Accepted at the Pub!

Transcript

The respect the citizens of East Grinstead had for the people there, not staring at them, just accepting them as human beings and going into the pub and we always said the one story that in the pub they went in there and two people drinking there and they called over to the owner and said, “Why do you let these bums into here to drink beer?” and the owner threw the two of them out of the pub bodily and they never were allowed back in because this pub owner accepted us, the people. We had a lot of Canadians, a lot of Australians, New Zealanders all those, Czechs well everybody was a friend of everybody else's. They all knew they had similar problems and stuff like that but they always got along together. The big factor was with doctors McIndoe and Tilley, they would not let the patients wear hospital attire. They said, “Get into your uniform and get around in town in uniform and even though the service in London wanted the people to be treated as patients, these two doctors wouldn't allow it. We wore our uniforms all the time when we went out of the hospital, no matter how they got into them, they still got into their uniform.

Description

Mr. Dove shares a story as to how the pub owner protected the feelings of the disfigured patients.

Orvel Dove

Mr. Orvel Dove was born in Innisfree, Alberta November 26, 1921. After graduating from high school, Mr. Dove decided to join the air force. With the hope of becoming a pilot, Mr. Dove traveled to Regina Saskatchewan for training, received his wings and became a night-fighter pilot with the RAF 256 Squadron. On February 10, 1942, while testing aircraft, Mr. Dove was involved in an accident and convalesced at East Grinstead Hospital in England. Upon recovery, Mr. Dove spent the remainder of his war time with Ferry Command, ferrying single-engine aircraft. Later in life and because of his wonderful experiences at East Grinstead Hospital, he became a member of the Guinea Pig Club and continues to share friendships forged during those years. Mr. Dove married after the war and moved to Kamloops, British Columbia.

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