大象传媒

This story was added to the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War website on behalf of the contributor by Helen Jubb, 大象传媒 Radio Leeds with their permission.

My grandmother鈥檚 GP was a doctor John J Bell well before the First World War. He was also a close friend of the family, but in the 1930鈥檚 he called to see my grandmother and told her the young doctor from Ireland was opening a practice quite near my grandmother鈥檚 home, and would she agree to be the first patient on his list. She agreed to this request. My mother also agreed to go on his list along with my brother, William and myself. I was born in 1931 therefore my memories of the 1930鈥檚 are rather vague, but I do remember Dr. Morrissey as a very kindly man and a reliable doctor. In 1939 in the month, (I believe) of July, my parents, my brother and myself went on holiday to Morecambe in Lancashire where during the holiday, I picked up a disease. My father realised after that it could be quite serious. We had to leave for home early. Dr. Morrissey was immediately sent for and quickly diagnosed gingivitis and stumatitis (forgive spelling!), and immediately took me to Bradford Children鈥檚 Hospital. I remember Dr. Morrissey visiting me and before leaving handing out boiled sweets to all the children in the ward. On the 3rd September 1939, World War II was declared. I celebrated my 8th birthday 2 days later on the 5th. In the early days of the war, Dr. Morrissey volunteered to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps and was soon posted to France. He was caught up in the retreat and served in a medical station somewhere near Dunkirk. He went with moveable wounded to the Dunkirk beaches and was killed attending to the wounded. Before leaving for France he called to see my grandmother saying he would see her when on leave. He was killed in June 1940, my grandmother died in August of that year. The war cost this country a fine young doctor.

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