Dr Albert Ross Tilley

Sir Archibald McIndoe is not the only name synonymous with the wartime work of the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.

Another man — a Canadian surgeon whose skill, compassion and leadership rebuilt hundreds of lives — became equally central to this history.

Today, the main ward at Queen Victoria Hospital bears his name: Dr Ross Tilley.

Early Life and Education

Albert Ross Tilley was born in Bowmanville, Ontario, on 24 November 1904. His interest in medicine began early, accompanying his GP father on patient visits.

He graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1929 as a silver medallist.

Formative Training Years

After medical school, Ross travelled widely for postgraduate study, spending five years at:

Toronto Western Hospital (Ontario)
Roosevelt and Bellevue Hospitals (New York)
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Scotland)
Working with the renowned pathologist Sternberg in Vienna

By 1935, he had returned to Canada and opened a private practice, working at both the Wellesley and Toronto Western Hospitals.

Entry into the Royal Canadian Air Force

In 1935, Ross joined the No. 400 City of Toronto Squadron of the RCAF as a medical officer, a decision that would shape the rest of his career.

He trained under Dr E. Fulton Risdon, a protégé of Sir Harold Gillies and considered the father of plastic surgery in Canada.

At that time, Risdon was one of only three plastic surgeons in the entire country. Ross became the fourth, completing his training just before the Second World War.

He was called to active service in 1939 and by 1940 was a Commanding Officer and C Surgeon at Trenton Memorial Hospital. A year later, he was appointed Principal Medical Officer at RCAF Headquarters in London.

Shortly after arriving, he received an invitation that would change the course of his life — and the lives of hundreds of injured airmen.

Second World War — East Grinstead

Arrival at Queen Victoria Hospital

In January 1942, Ross travelled to the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, to treat some of the most severe burn injuries of the war.

It quickly became clear that the growing number of Canadian burn casualties needed a dedicated space. Ross, newly appointed Chief Surgeon, planned and oversaw the construction of a 50-bed wing. The Royal Canadian Engineers built it for $80,000, and it opened in 1944 with more than 50 staff.

A Pioneer of Patient-Centred Care

Ross worked extraordinary hours — operating all day and into the evening, resting briefly, then returning at 23:00 to check on patients after surgery.

At a time when medicine was dominated by paternalism, he was a pioneer of patient empowerment. He explained every procedure, every detail of surgery, and every stage of recovery to his patients — restoring dignity, confidence and agency.

Recognition and Influence

By 1944, when the Canadian wing opened, Ross had been promoted to Group Captain.

That same year, he stood before King George VI at Buckingham Palace to receive the Order of the British Empire — a fitting honour for a surgeon whose work, alongside McIndoe and the hospital team, formed “the most formidable and effective response to burn injuries, anywhere in the world.”

Continuing Commitment to the Guinea Pig Club

Ross served as President of the Canadian branch of the Guinea Pig Club and continued to operate on more than 200 of its members for the next 40 years, giving extraordinary care to their physical, emotional and psychological recovery.

Life After the War

On returning to Canada in 1945, Ross became a consulting physician at Christie Street Hospital and Toronto Wellesley Hospital.

Between 1949 and 1965 he also travelled regularly to Kingston, serving at:

Hotel Dieu
Kingston General Hospital
Kingston Military Hospital

At a time when only 10 plastic surgeons were practising in Canada, Ross became instrumental in shaping the future of the profession.

Academic and Professional Leadership

Assistant Professor at Queen’s University
Delivered the first formal accredited courses in plastic surgery in Canada
One of 12 founding fathers of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons (1947)
Drafted the national fee schedule (1948)
Served as Vice-President (1953) and President (1954)

His leadership paved the way for the field’s rapid growth and rising standards.

Establishing Burn Care in Canada

Ross campaigned tirelessly for dedicated burn facilities in Ontario.

His vision became reality in 1984, when a burns centre named in his honour opened at Wellesley Hospital.

In 1998 it moved to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where it remains the Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

He became the first plastic surgeon appointed to the Order of Canada, and continued to receive recognition long after his official retirement in 1981.

Legacy

After dedicating much of his 84 years to medicine and his patients, Albert Ross Tilley died on 19 April 1988.

The Dr A. Ross Tilley Foundation was established in 1989 by fellow surgeons and his widow, Jean Tilley, to honour his achievements and award scholarships in his name.

He is also honoured through:

An elementary school named after him in Bowmanville
His induction into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006

This article is based on: Albert Ross Tilley: The Legacy of a Canadian Plastic Surgeon by Kevin S. Mowbrey.

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