Thomas Kilner

Kilner was born on 17 September 1890, the son of a schoolmaster at Manchester Grammar School. He attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn. He studied medicine at Manchester University. Here he won the Dauntesey Scholarship and the Sidney Renshaw Exhibition, as well as medals in anatomy and physiology. He qualified in 1912, with distinctions in surgery and pathology. == Career ==

Following graduation in 1912, he demonstrated in anatomy and then became a house surgeon. His intended to join Dr Bateman of Blackburn in general practice, but when the First World War intervened he was enlisted in the R.A.M.C. He rose to the rank of captain, and by 1918 was following general surgery as a career. At the armistice he was in charge of an orthopedic unit for patients with fractured femurs. His was advised he might gain an appointment with Major Harold Gillies in a new hospital unit where a new of specialty, "Plastic Surgery." was being practiced. Though not knowing what this was, Kilner was appointed to the hospital at Sidcup. == Personal life ==

In 1915 Kilner had married Olive Brown. Their son, Hugh, was born in date. Olive Kilner died when Hugh was an infant of an acute abdominal catastrophe. Hugh qualified in medicine at St Thomas's Hospital but died during service with the Medical Branch of the Royal Air Force. In 1926 Kilner married Florence Brennan (née O'Neill), who survived him. They had one daughter together and brought up Hugh (young "Pomf") together along with their other boys, Peter and Michael, both of whom survived their father. == Death ==

He died in 1964 having seen the profession go from 1939 when only three London teaching hospitals had appointed consultant surgeons to there being hardly a teaching hospital in the British Isles without a plastic surgeon on the permanent staff on his death. == Selected publications ==

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