photos chosen and supplied by Mr Chatteris
Mr Chatteris left shoe has a 4 1/2" raise, the reason
for the raise was the result of an accident in 1944 when mr chatteris was
a flight lefttennant in the R.A.F he had seen many years service out in
the north african desert and after completing his tour of duty was shipped
home and posted to R.A.F. Blakehill Farm nr Gloucester.
As he had alot of experience with convoys during his
time with the long range desert group it was decided that he would be prerfect
for training drivers in convoy duties ready for the allied invasion.
one day while instructing a convoy on open roads in
Cirencester Mr Chatteris was riding a motorcycle riding from front to back
of the convoy untill they came to Birdlip hill a long steep hill.
coming the other way down the hill was a tank transporter
with a tank on board, Mr Chatteris rode up the out side of the convoy telling
the drivers to pull over as far as posible to make enough room for the
tank transporter to pass when he was in collision with it and went uder
the back wheels.
He remembers comming to briefly and seeing his left
leg behind his back and his right foot by his right ear.
he was rushed to an american feild service hospital
who after saving his life assesed the fractures to his leg hip pelvis and
lower back.
It was discovered tat the fractures were so severe
that surgery followed to re align all of the fractures and numerous
bone grafts followed.
His left leg was fractured in 3 places and once the
fractures were cleaned it was found that a total of 3" of bone had been
lost from his leg, his hip and hemi pelvis had also moved upward
by 1 1/2 "
nothing further could de done other than to place
him in a plaster cast from chest to toe and leave it to heal.
after 9 months on his back in plaster Mr Chatteris
was slowly mobilised and he was the measured for his footwear a total shortening
of 4 1/2"was found.
Mr Chatteris was eventually invalided out of the R.A.F
with a pension and retrained as a teacher after the war.
The photographs on this page have been personally
chosen by him from his photo album and used here with his kind permission.
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