McIndoe was born in Dunedin and graduated from the University of Otago Medical School. Soon, the star of his meteoric rise led him to a prestigious Mayo Clinic fellowship in the United States and then London in the 1930s. At this stage, he had joined forces with his cousin, the famous Harold Gillies, a fellow New Zealander in St Bartholomew’s Hospital London. McIndoe established himself at Queen Victoria Hospital at the outbreak of World War II, where he set up the Plastic and Jaw Surgery Centre and treated airmen with serious burn injuries and facial disfigurement. 35 fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain with serious hand and face burns were sent to McIndoe for treatment, in which he developed saline baths to improve healing times, survival rates and humane treatment for severe burns. McIndoe also recognised his responsibility as a surgeon for patients beyond the operating room and encouraged his social integration of patients. The “Guinea Pig Club” was formed with an undertone of a unique sense of camaraderie and a sense of pride for shared experiences. McIndoe’s legacy lives on beyond the scar tissue as he has revolutionised plastic surgery not only in New Zealand but globally. His pioneering spirit lives on reminding us of the person who lives beyond the scar. 'McINDOE, Sir Archibald Hector, C.B.E.', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/mcindoe-sir-archibald-hector-cbe (accessed 27 Jan 2024)