McIndoe

Following on from my theme about why the town has such a link with the injured airmen of WW2 and why we got a flypast of a spitfire on 8 May, this.   is the statue at the top of the High St in front of Sackville College depicting Sir Archibald McIndoe and an injured airman who he would have treated.  McIndoe pioneered what we now know as plastic surgery at the town’s Queen Victoria Hospital and in doing so saved the lives of many horrifically burned aircrew who became known as the Guinea Pigs.    Part of their recovery included getting out and about into the town.  

Despite their horrific injuries the people of East Grinstead treated them as nothing was out of the ordinary and hence it got its reputation as 'the Town whose people never stared'.