BY ROGER WATSON “Hi, my name’s Ken, what’s yours?” Thus, I first met Captain Ken Kirk, a nursing officer in 212 Field Hospital RAMC (V). I was a lieutenant in 205 Scottish General Hospital on attachment to 212 for the summer camp. My work at the University of Edinburgh prevented me from joining my own unit for summer camp in Germany. Instead, I drove to … Continue reading Man Down
BY ROGER WATSON With what could be described as typical German efficiency the technicians had me mic’d up well in advance. I had my jacket taken off and the bottom button of my shirt undone. The wireless relay was attached to the back of my trousers and the wire to the microphone inserted under my shirt and up to the collar where it was clipped … Continue reading Never Trust a Technician
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Twenty yards from the end of the pitch there stands the tree where I paid my respects. On the branches of this tree used to hang tied up shopping bags full of dressings, pins, bandages, eye pads and tape. In the cracks in its trunk there’d be a rusty pair of scissors, an old tobacco tin filled with waterproof plasters and that … Continue reading The Healing Tree
BY ROGER WATSON It was a few nights before Christmas and I was in Manchester. It was late. I stepped out of the taxi into the cold night air and headed to where the driver had told me the hotel reception was located. I walked into the reception and my spectacles immediately steamed over. The room was very warm and humid. It was clearly a … Continue reading Canal Street
