Arriving at East Grinstead Hospital

Heroes Remember

Arriving at East Grinstead Hospital

Transcript

When I first arrived at East Grinstead, to go into the wards and see the fellows all in various stages of recovery from being badly burned, exceptionally badly burned - both hands, faces and stuff like that and then I had my operation and was able to walk. I could walk and stuff like that. We'd all get together and we'd all go into the town of East Grinstead and some people were walking, some people couldn't walk and they were in wheelchairs all covered in bandages. One of the big things in East Grinstead was the people. They never stared at us or at the people, fellows that were so badly burnt that they just accepted us.

Description

Mr. Dove remembers his first reaction to the sight of patients and type of care received at East Grinstead.

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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