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Dr. Ross Tilley: OBE, CM – A Personal Tribute by Carol Bristow 22-03-2026!

Good afternoon Robert, I very much enjoyed your presentation on Ross Tilley from his younger days onward. It provided a much fuller understanding of this fine man.

I met Ross Tilley and his wife Jean a few times after the war when he and his wife Jean drove to Burlington to visit with my father and family. I was likely four years of age at that time, my father’s reconstructive surgery now completed and well healed. I also remember drives to Toronto to visit with them. When his stories of the war years overseas and of East Grinstead relayed to my brother and I always held our attention.

Dad’s respect, trust and friendship with Ross Tilley was evident. The Guinea Pigs and Tilley had a close and protective relationship with each other. Dr. Tilley’s first concern was always to meet the needs of these 170 fine young RCAF airmen. He assisted in rescues (as in my father’s case in Germany), flew the severely burned airmen to East Grinstead’s Canada Wing (built by the Core of the Royal Canadian Engineers), saved lives with his reconstructive surgery while devising new techniques and instruments as he rebuilt their new faces and hands.

Dr. Tilley also learned how to use the latest discovery of an antibiotic called Streptomycin. Dad was one of the first patients to have been administered this life saving medication. It soon came to light that too high a dose negatively affected the inner ear causing a permanent loss of balance. With dose strength adjusted, this problem no longer became an issue. Outside of Tilley’s rescues, building the Canadian Wing, developing surgical achievements and devices and befriending his Guinea Pigs…one and all his other most important achievement was the success he had in finding a target to reacclimatize his Guinea Pigs to re- entering society. They did so in finding a confidence in themselves, with a strength of mind and a comfortable resolve in their newly reconstructed identities. Here lie many stories! Stories of Ross Tilley, his humour and sensitivity shared with each of his Guinea Pigs, meeting their medical, physical and emotional needs. Their nurses were equally involved, many marrying a Guinea Pig. Tilley chose the small, close knit town of East Grinstead, calling the community together informing them that severly burned, disfigured airmen would be in view and to interact with them, ask them to the pub, into their homes, out to tea dances, involve them in their lives outside of hospital. The town followed Tilley’s wishes. These interpersonal relationships helped bring these men back to life. Everyone was involved in the RCAF airmen’s recovery and entry back to a full and active life. This was so successful that these young men returned to their homes with strong minds, good humour, self confidence and a drive to carry on. The Guinea Pigs all did extremely well in life, fully satisfied, goal seeking, enjoying the relationships they formed and the families they raised. My father’s strength of character, stoicism, good judgement and positive disposition were passed on to my brother and me. I’ve notice these same attributes in a friend of mine, whose father was also a Guinea Pig. It’s part Tilley being carried forward through the generations!

My family and I would be very pleased indeed to have my father’s name added to your Testimonial section, truly honoured.

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