Charles Kenneth Gilkes

November 23, 2016

Admitted to: RAF Stradishall SSQ. Newmarket Hospital (08/09/43) and RAF Hospital Ely (09/09/43).		Date of Injury: 08/09/1943
D.O.B/Age when admitted: 6/2/1923 (21)		Cause of Incident: Shot down as he piloted his Stirling Bomber, returning to East Anglia base after a sortie over Europe. Age 20 years. Over the next two years received reconstructive surgery at the Queen Victoria Hospital.<br /> 1941 enlisted in the RAAF. Attended flying school in Canada then to Bomber Command, northern England. 1946 returned to Australia.
Transferred to QVH: 03/05/1944		Injuries: Burns to face, hands and legs
No. of Operations at East Grinstead: 5

IDENTITY CARD

This is to certify that the patient mentioned below and whose description is stated hereon is the authorised holder of this Identity card.

Forename: Charles Kenneth			Surname: Gilke,
Service No: 420656			Nationality: Australian

Awards/Honours: ---			Patient Unit: PHU, RAF Morecambe
Profession: Perpetual Trustee Company, Company Secretary.			Patient Rank: FS

Death: July, 2014			Age at Death: 91yrs
Dr Rank:			Dr Unit:

Notes:

Known as 'Ken'
5 photographs

Glossary:

PHU - Personnel Holding Unit
SSQ - Station Sick Quarters

Further Reading:

'Ken Gilkes Married', The Guinea Pig, April 1949, pp. 8-9.
'McIndoe's Army' by Edward Bishop, p. 133.
'McIndoe's Army' by William and Harrison, pp. 140-141.
'Ken Gilkes - the Last of the Australian Guinea Pigs'

References:

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/ken-gilkes--the-last-of-the-australian-guinea-pigs-20141107-11ipek.html

East Grinstead Museum Collection:
EGRTM 2751.39 - black and white headshot of Gilkes
EGRTM 2773.394 - progress photographs of Gilkes' treatment, March 1944.