The highlights, and the lows, of aviation medicine in the 1940's: the human element

This article describes the experience and knowledge gained by the author during an extensive study tour of the majority of aviation medicine centres in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States in 1942. The emphasis is upon the human element rather than the technical, and the contribution of thousands of scientists from medical, psychological, and allied disciplines whose dedication was vital to air supremacy. This required a symbiosis between them and aircraft engineers and, inter alia, courageous participation in operational missions or dangerous experiments. The price was, on occasion, tragedy. Individual instances are described, as are visits to operational air force squadrons. The tour concluded with a return to South Africa and the establishment of the first South African Aviation Medical Laboratory. In spite of the implementation of the knowledge gained during the tour, the laboratory was closed after the war.