I suspect many who gathered at the Scots American War Memorial in Princes Street Gardens on Sunday 14th October 2012 were like me and didn’t know anything about it. As it will forever have its place in WTTR, and we will gather there again in ever increasing numbers in the future, readers might wish to learn something about it. This, my first blog, is about its creator.
The memorial, sometimes known as “The Call”, is the work of the Canadian born sculptor Robert Tait McKenzie (1867-1938). He was the son of the Rev William McKenzie and Catherine Shiells McKenzie, who were both from Kelso, and was born in Lanark County, Ontario.
At university he became increasingly interested in sports and following his graduation as a doctor he continued with this interest and was appointed the first Medical Director of Physical Training at McGill University in Montreal. He was a regular writer on physical and therapeutic exercise. McGill University did not have the funds to develop his work (sounds familiar) so he moved on to the post of Director of Physical Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
During the First World War McKenzie tried but failed to join the Canadian Army Medical Corps so he joined the British Army as a Canadian volunteer. He then applied for an attachment to the Physical Training HQ Staff but red tape demanded he was sent on a course on physical education. His participation on the course only lasted until his Colonel discovered that he had written the book! He was made an Inspector of Training and toured training camps and hospitals, and helped develop courses to bring recruits to basic fitness levels.
McKenzie served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and became involved in surgery, rehabilitation and physiotherapy work with wounded soldiers which led to his promotion to the rank of Major in command of the Heaton Park Medical Command Depot. His greatest achievement was in development of the rehabilitation of wounded servicemen by setting up a pilot scheme in Manchester to establish and dissipate the techniques and programmes to be used throughout the country. He later went to the U.S. to pass on his knowledge to the Americans after their entry into the war and in 1918 was appointed Inspector of Convalescent Hospitals for the Canadian Medical Service before going on to France to put his skills to the service of the French. His book ‘Reclaiming the Maimed’ was adopted as an official manual by the U.S. Army and Navy. He also worked with fellow surgeon Dr. William Clark in the re-construction of the faces of badly wounded servicemen and helped to develop techniques for the modelling of cosmetic masks to hide severe facial wounds.
Isn’t it extraordinary that the sculptor of the memorial we attend to recognise the sacrifice made by our service personnel, and remember those survivors with life changing injuries, had direct Scots heritage, and was a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. When we stand there on 13 October 2013 and in years to come while one of our heroic service men or women lays a wreath let us also remember Major McKenzie not only for his fantastic work as its sculptor, but more importantly for his work in developing essential services, much in demand today, for those who have suffered traumatic injury while serving their Country.
– Alistair Tait (no relation so far as I know!), Motorcycle Funerals
