Institutions, individuals and artificial limb provision in the Two World Wars in Britain

This thesis examines the work undertaken in the limb fitting centres set up across mainland Britain from their opening in the First World War through to the end of the Second World War. Exploring two conflicts and the interwar period, allows this thesis to explore where there was a continuation in the care provided to limbless ex-servicemen, but also how some aspects changed between the two wars. It explores questions of what limb design looked like and who was manufacturing these limbs. It also raises questions around expertise and who was regarded to have this expertise at different points in the care process – from limb fitters and instructors, to the limbless ex-servicemen themselves. This thesis ultimately questions whether this care was appropriate for the injuries these ex-servicemen had and how it impacted their lives in a post-war society. It has shown that these limb fitting centres created a state of welfare before the Welfare State by providing this support under their roofs, through bringing together these different experts into one space. They brought together this cohort of different actors to use their expertise and knowledge to provide for these limbless ex-servicemen. It enhances our understandings of post-conflict care by exploring the inter-war period and the Second World War, as well as the First World War.

This thesis brings together a number of historical approaches and methodologies from areas including disability history, welfare history, medical history, the history of expertise, material culture, and histories from below. Using these approaches allows this thesis to fully explore artificial limb provision in the time period of the two world wars, through the close reading of textual sources, oral histories and material histories. It is a study of the interactions of space, people, and objects.