Harold Whittingham
Much of his work concerned, pathology, disease, aerospace medicine, medical records, medical education, first aid, malaria, tropical medicine, physiology and occupational health.[2]
Early life
Whittingham was the second son of Engineer-Rear Admiral William Whittingham CB and Elizabeth Annie, and like his siblings he chose to study medicine. He was educated at Christ's Hospital,[3] the Greenock Academy and the University of Glasgow.[4] As an undergraduate he excelled at winning medals of distinction in Zoology, Surgery, Pathology and the Gairdner medal in the practice of medicine.[4]
His first post in 1910 was as
In 1915 he was a volunteer in the
RAF
Tropical medicine
Whittingham had a long career in the RAF beginning in 1918 when he was transferred to the Royal Air Force as a
For his sandfly research paper he was awarded the North Persian Medal in 1923 which was awarded annually for the best tropical research paper.
Aviation medicine
From 1927 to 1939 he was a pathologist at the
From 1938 until 1946 he held the appointment of
He was given a knighthood at the beginning of World War II.[4] Many of his lecture notes, drawings and cartoons were implemented into Air Ministry booklets such as Health Hints for Warm Climates and distributed for the well-being of British servicemen.[2] Lessons learnt from the second world war indicated that there was a requirement for studying the effects of aviation on aircrew and in 1943 he proposed the establishment of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM). He was successful and it was eventually built on a corner of Farnborough airfield and officially opened by the Princess Royal in 1945.[6][11]
Problems with exposure to altitude in flying such as
Post Second World War
He was made
Whittingham, a BMA member, was held in high esteem by his peers and in 1973, the RCP professorship of aviation medicine was renamed the Whittingham professorship "in honour of his outstanding leadership in this field".[8]
Honours
During his career, he gained the following honours:[8][3]
- MB ChB Glasg (1910)
- DPH (1919)
- DTM&H (1920)
- North Persian Memorial Medal (1923)[9]
- Chadwick Gold Medal (1925)
- FRFPSG (1926)
- MRCP (1927)
- CBE (1930)
- KBE(1941)
- KCB(1944)
- Hon LLD Glasg (1943)
- John Jeffries Institute of Aeronautical Sciences (1944)[19]
- FRCPE (1945)
- Hon FRCSE (1945)
- Order of Polonia Restituta (1945)
- USA Legion of Merit (Commander) (1945)[13]
- Order of St. Olav(1945)
- FRCP(1946)
- Stewart memorial award (1970)
References
- PMC 2149102.
- ^ a b c d e "Whittingham, Sir Harold E., 1887–1983, Air Marshal archive". Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ PMC 1548559.
- ^ a b c d e "Captain (Temporary Commission) Harold Edward Whittingham". University of Glasgow. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ "A brief history". NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. NHSGGC. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Historical information record".
- ^ "Medical Officers of the Malta Garrison 1923". British Army Medical Services. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ a b c "Lives of the fellows". Royal College of Physicians of London. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ ISSN 0035-9203.
- ^ British Overseas Airways Corporation (1957). B.O.A.C. Review. BOAC Public Relations Department.
- ISBN 978-0-904147-68-1.
- ^ a b Royal Air Force Historical Society - Journal 43 2008 ISN: 1361 4231
- ^ a b "Legion of Merit USA". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "Polonia Restituta". The London Gazette. 12 June 1945. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "Flying Personnel Research Committee". Hansard. millbanksystems. 6 February 1958. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-241-96501-6.
- PMID 14382517.
- ISBN 978-1-4831-9331-1.
- ^ Aero Digest. Aeronautical Digest Publishing Corporation. October 1944.