Hi, and thanks for allowing me to join your forums. I am a District Nursing student in Chester and am doing some research into the amount of elderly males who served in the war who have developed skin cancer. This could have been because of excessive sun exposure during your postings abroad. Does anybody have information on this? Thanks, Virginia
Hi Virginia - and welcome to the forum. A most interesting research project - have you though of contacting your local Royal British Legion to see if they have any veterans that might be able to help you? Also the Welcome Trust and RAMC Museum in Aldershot may have something, as all sorts of studies were conducted after the war for the medical history of WW2 which was written in the ?50s.
Hi, and thanks for allowing me to join your forums. I am a District Nursing student in Chester and am doing some research into the amount of elderly males who served in the war who have developed skin cancer. This could have been because of excessive sun exposure during your postings abroad. Does anybody have information on this? Thanks, Virginia Hi Virginia, Welcome. Have you done a lit search? Just a quick google of skin cancer + veterans + ww2 came up with quite lot of material. I found this article quite interetsting: "Skin cancer as an occupational disease: the effect of ultraviolet and other forms of radiation" International Journal of Dermatology Volume 44 Page 95 - February 2005 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02301.x?cookieSet=1 It compares a number of occupations, but includes a study on the comparison betweeb veterans in Europe and the Pacific (worth a read)
as we speak I am trawling through Blackwell Synergie articles, will do a quick jump to the article you mention. thanks
Don't know about skin cancer Virginia, but my old man was in North Africa and Italy, while his youngest brother was in India, and they BOTH now have Glaucoma. Medics say there's no connection, but I has me doubts, I does.......... I've seen official wartime Army newsreel from North Africa where troops newly arrived from home were made to lie in the mid-day sun for 15 minutes and then turn over, to get them "acclimatised". And then they were told that sunburn was classed as a self-inflicted wound........
Perhaps another study should be on how a soldiers eyes are affected and deteriorate compared to Navy and RAF. Blue Jobs were issued Sun glasses, not sure about the Matlots but the Army it was a no, no, and unless you wore a C... Hat your eyes suffered with the bright light of the big yellow!!! Hmmm perhaps this should be reserved for an Ophthalmologist??
If I remember right the first German casualty during Jersey's Occupation was a soldier that covered himself in pig fat and fell asleep while sunbathing. It's mentioned on a board in the Tunnels museum (I think with the blokes name). Cheers, Adam.
Bet he smelt lovely though...... I have seen RAF sunglasses knocking around on eBay, very stylish. I would be surprised if there wasn't something for the RN though to protect their eyes from reflected glare off the water. Anyone know if there was?
