This Is Your Life: William Simpson

Squadron Leader William SIMPSON OBE, DFC (1914-2005)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - William Simpson, journalist and former Royal Air Force bomber pilot, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC’s Lime Grove Studios.

William, who was born in Glasgow and educated at Kings School, Canterbury, joined an advertising agency in London after leaving school, and later applied for a short–service commission in the RAF. On a wartime flying mission in 1940 with No 12 Squadron, he was shot down in flames over Belgium and suffered disfiguring burns to his face and crippling injuries to his hands.

William became one of the most famous of the 'Guinea Pigs' – a group of men treated by the skill of the great New Zealand plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, in his pioneering burns unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead.

"I would like to place on record the gratitude of myself and my family for all the kindness, hospitality and consideration. You cannot imagine how much pleasure it gave my mother and sister to be reunited"

programme details...

Edition No: 146
Subject No: 146
Broadcast live: Mon 9 Jan 1961
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 6
Edition: 17

on the guest list...

Sergeant – later Warrant Officer Edward Odell
George Whittinghill
Mary Rea
Cliff Michelmore
Ruth Swan
Robert Simpson– son
Ann Simpson – daughter
Peter Hunt
Jane Hunt
Mr & Mrs Harris
Stephen Murray
Sister from Australia
Monica – wife

production team...

Researcher: Liam Nolan
Writer: Liam Nolan
Director: Michael Goodwin
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

with thanks to Anne Burness, Bob Marchant of the Guinea Pig Club and the East Grinstead Museum for their contributions to this page

related page...

Military Life

saluting the armed forces

Photographs of William Simpson This Is Your Life

Anne Burness, daughter of William Simpson, exclusively recalls a memory of This Is Your Life to the BigRedBook website...

"My most vivid memory of the day was the 'dress rehearsal' and as my brother and I were summoned on stage the whole set behind us in the wings came crashing down!!

Luckily no one was hurt and all went very smoothly on the live show."

Series 6 subjects