Will Kill a Guinea Pig Club supporter

• Main Author: Their Finest Hour Project Team
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: British history; European history (excl. British; classical Greek and Roman); International history; Their Finest Hour; World War Two; Aeroplane; Africa; African; Air Force; Aircraft; Airplane; Animal; Animals; Armed Forces; Britain; British; British Empire; Canada; Canadian; Clothes; Clothing; Commonwealth; Dress; Empire; Employment; Food; Health; Healthcare; Hospital; Medal; Medic; Medical; Medical Services; Medicine; Military; North America; North American; Photo; Photograph; Photographs; Photos; Plane; RAF; Royal; Royal Air Force; South Africa; South African; UK; United Kingdom; British Columbia; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.25446/oxford.25935028.v1; https://figshare.com/articles/online_resource/Will_Kill_a_Guinea_Pig_Club_supporter/25935028

This is about William Henry Kill, my father. He originally joined the RAF in 1926, then came out of the service, and re-joined when war broke out in 1939. He was in the Royal Air Force, stationed at Upper Heyford, Lyneham, Bicester, and later on in Canada. Whilst he was stationed at Upper Heyford, a plane crashed near our house, and my father and another man rescued the pilot from the burning aircraft. The pilot was very badly burned, but was taken to hospital, and did make a recovery. He subsequently returned to South Africa, but kept in touch with my father, and sent food parcels from South Africa to our family. My father became a lifelong supporter of the Guinea Pig Club which was formed in July 1941 to support aircrew who were undergoing reconstructive plastic surgery after receiving burn injuries in the Second World War . My father was later sent to Canada with the RAF, and went to Vancouver, and then to Banff. He was a carpenter by trade and whilst at Banff he was asked by the chaplain to make a font for the Chapel. I do not know what work he was actually doing whilst at Banff. We have postcards which he sent from Vancouver and British Columbia, but nothing from his time at Banff. The photograph of my father wearing First Nations head dress was taken in Banff when he was stationed there.