The Light of Victory

Son of a prominent Scottish surgeon, David McFadden followed his father as a well-trained surgeon. He also followed his father into the Highland Light Infantry as the regiment began their European war in 1914. His initial experience of war mirrored that of the British army, little experience and much to learn. From the famous fight to save Paris, to the Battle of the Somme and Passchendaele, he took part in every major battle of the First World War. As that terrible war unfolded, the progress in medical care was rapid. From triage, to casualty control, x-rays, infection control and anesthesia the world of medicine transformed itself. He lived that change and used every advance to take care of his "lads." The horror of modern warfare using machine guns, tanks and aircraft took death, pain and suffering to new levels. The number of casualties as the tactics of the 18th century met the technology of the 19th were hard to comprehend. The men of the Royal Army Medical Corps and the nurses of England fought every day to save the lives of an entire generation of young men. David McFadden lived that battle and finally did see the light of victory, not just for England, but for the advance of medicine.