{"id":528,"date":"2015-04-26T09:24:15","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T09:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eject.com.au\/trailblazers\/?page_id=528"},"modified":"2025-08-28T04:19:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T04:19:34","slug":"ww2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/ww2\/","title":{"rendered":"WWII"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fullwidth=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/geoffrey-kaye-header.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_fullwidth_slider][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”on” background_color=”#595959″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8425_iStock_000046704306_Double-Colour-web.jpg”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Geoffrey-Kaye-in-uniform.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

GEOFFREY KAYE\u00a0<\/strong>MB, BS, MD, FFARACS
\nWORLD WAR II<\/p>\n

Prior to World War II, Geoffrey Kaye contributed to Australia\u2019s first textbook on anaesthesia, was instrumental in establishing the Australia Society of Anaesthetists, and designed a simple, robust and easily manufactured vaporiser for military use. He enlisted in 1939, was appointed anaesthetic adviser to the Australian Infantry Forces, and served in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Kaye was the only specialist anaesthetist working at a hospital with up to 1500 patients. He appointed a deputy and several \u201coccasional\u201d anaesthetists from the medical staff.<\/p>\n

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Ether was the preferred anaesthetic. It was cheap, readily obtainable and provided adequate muscle relaxation for most operations. It was generally administered with a Schimmelbusch mask or using the vaporiser designed by Kaye.<\/p>\n

After the war, Kaye established a teaching centre at the University of Melbourne, where all medical students learnt about anaesthetics. In 1974 he was awarded the Orton Medal for Distinguished Services to Anaesthesia and an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#595959″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”WWII Image 2″ src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/030011_02-2AGH-Geoffrey-Kaye-AWM.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”WWII Image 3″ src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/GK-teaching-at-Melbourne-Uni.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

Kantara, Egypt. July 1941. General view of 2\/2 Australian General Hospital.\u00a0Australian War Memorial.<\/p>\n

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Geoffrey Kaye lecturing at Melbourne University,\u00a0Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”WWII Image 4″ src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/schimmelbusch-mask.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”WWII Image 5″ src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/GK-Vaporizer_2.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

Schimmelbusch mask –\u00a0Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

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Vaporiser – Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

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Oxford vaporiser – Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

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Nitrous Oxide label – Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8425_iStock_000046704306_Double-Colour-web.jpg” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#ffffff” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

WILLIAM JOHN WATT OBE\u00a0<\/strong>MB, ChB, FFARCS, FFARACS, FANZCA
\nWORLD WAR II<\/p>\n

Jack Watt had graduated from the University of Otago when World War II commenced. He enlisted in the New Zealand Army Medical Corps, and served with the 6th\u00a0New Zealand General Hospital.<\/p>\n

The New Zealand Army had a tough campaign in Italy. Medical divisions were frequently under attack, scrambling to lay out Red Cross signs as shells landed among ambulances and supply tents.<\/p>\n

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They had no specialist anaesthetists and medical officers were often instructed by nearby British specialists. The Oxford vaporiser soon became the preferred delivery device. Heavy stovaine solution was available for spinal anaesthesia but not suited to shocked casualties.<\/p>\n

Watt became one of the first anaesthetic registrars in Auckland. He then travelled to the UK for a Diploma of Anaesthesia and ultimately his Fellowship.<\/p>\n

He was interested in teaching and training, worked in the Pacific for the World Health Organisation, was New Zealand\u2019s first Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, and was awarded an OBE in 1981.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Jack-Watt-Dean-Faculty-of-Anaesthetists.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/University_of_Otago_Clocktower_2003.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

Jack Watt wearing Dean\u2019s robes – Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History<\/p>\n

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University of Otago – Dunedin, NZ. Photographer: D Liebisch<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/pharma-background.jpg” transparent_background=”on” background_color=”#ffffff” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_cta admin_label=”Call To Action” button_url=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/korean-war\/” button_text=”Continue Exhibition” use_background_color=”off” background_color=”#1e73be” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fullwidth=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/geoffrey-kaye-header.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_fullwidth_slider][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”on” background_color=”#595959″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/8425_iStock_000046704306_Double-Colour-web.jpg”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Geoffrey-Kaye-in-uniform.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” url_new_window=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”] GEOFFREY KAYE\u00a0MB, BS, MD, FFARACS WORLD WAR II Prior to World War II, Geoffrey Kaye contributed to Australia\u2019s first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-528","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1016,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/528\/revisions\/1016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoffreykayemuseum.org.au\/trailblazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}