THE UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans will host a speech in Edinburgh next month.
Dr Roderick Bailey, author and historian, is to give the Combat Stress Summer Lecture this June.
The lecture, entitled Saving Lives behind the Lines: Surgery, Psychiatry and the Special Operations Executive, will take place at Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus on Tuesday 16 June at 12pm.
The location of the lecture is fitting as the university is located on the site of the Craiglockhart War Hospital where two of the most famous World War I poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, first met.
Guests will have the opportunity to look around the fascinating museum at the university which houses the War Poets Collection.
Dr Bailey, a graduate of Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities, is a historian of resistance and clandestine warfare and a specialist in the study of the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
Britain’s SOE was at the forefront of encouraging resistance in enemy-occupied territory throughout World War II. Drawing on declassified files, Dr Bailey’s illustrated talk will reveal the vital and imaginative ways in which professional medical personnel contributed to the SOE’s unconventional warfare. This ranged from young medical officers dropping by parachute into enemy territory to the work of psychiatrists and psychologists and the efforts of plastic surgeons to disguise agents’ faces.
Kath Provan, Regional Fundraising Manager for Combat Stress in Scotland, said: “It’s a great honour to have Dr. Bailey speaking at our Summer Lecture on 16 June. He has a wealth of knowledge and can offer great insight into the psychological effects of war and the work of World War II medical personnel.
“The Summer Lecture not only provides a great opportunity for Dr. Bailey to discuss some of his fascinating research, but it also helps raise awareness of the work of Combat Stress in supporting Veterans of contemporary conflicts and their families.
Fascinating
“Following the success of last year’s event, we are looking forward to welcoming people to the historic Craiglockhart Campus in June for what promises to be a fascinating talk.”
Guests will be invited to enjoy refreshments at registration and lunch following the lecture. Tickets cost £29.50 and are available online at www.eventbrite.co.uk or by calling 01372587148.
Combat Stress has supported more than 100,000 Veterans since founded in 1919. With more than 750 Veterans currently being helped in Scotland, the charity’s work is as vital today as it was after the World War I.
Combat Stress provides specialist clinical treatment and welfare support to Veterans suffering from psychological injuries including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.
All services are provided to Veterans free of charge and include a treatment centre at Hollybush House in Ayrshire, a Community and Outreach Service across Scotland and a 24-hour Helpline which is available on 0800 138 1619.
