a chance encounter

I caught the programme this evening on "The Guinea pig Club" and remembered this story that my father had told us about a wartime encounter with Archibald McIndoe.

Dad, Leon Andresier (nicknamed "Andy") served in the RAF (ground crew) and around 1942, was stationed in Ceylon.
He broke his leg and was sent to a hospital on the island.

Archibold McIndoe, a pioneering plastic surgeon was at the hospital and was treating a number of air crew who had been badly disfigured.
My father was a very sociable chap and being able to hobble about, wondered into a ward and went to chat to a patient in one of the beds who was well bandaged across his face.
Dad sat down and got into conversation with the young man and after a while the man pulled out a picture of himself and gave it to me father.
"Andy, this is me before all of this" said the young man sadly "and look at me now!"
Dad looked at the picture, and looked at the young man and after a while said to him.
"I think you should be grateful that you're now better looking!"
The young man leaped out of the bed and dad said that he just managed to get out of the ward a few steps ahead of the irate young airman.
Later that day he was told to report to Archibold McIndoe and he thought that he was really going to be in trouble.
The surgeon asked dad about the incident and then said to him.
"I can make them look better but I can't improve their mind state. That young response was the first sign of any spark since he's been injured.
Come into the ward whenever you care to."

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