Sir
Harold Gillies was born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1882. He was educated at Wanganui College before moving to
England to study medicine. His medical studies were undertaken at Cambridge University and St. Bartholomew's
Hospital London. He initially planned a career in otolaryngology before becoming on of the founders of British
plastic surgery. During the first World War he treated a large number of patients with facial injuries.
At the advent of World War II, Gillies converted the private wing of the Park Prewett Hospital, Basingstoke into
a 120-bed plastic surgery unit. This unit was known as 'Rooksdown House' and became on of the leading centres
