Miroslaw (Mirek) Vitali,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(October 5, 1914 in

Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

– February 19, 1992 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

) was a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

specialising in treatment and care of

amputee Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is ...

s. He was awarded the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1986 in recognition of his outstanding work helping British servicemen who lost limbs in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

He was born to

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

parents in Human in the

. He completed studies at the

Medical University of Warsaw The Medical University of Warsaw () is one of the oldest and the largest medical schools in Poland. The first academic department of medicine was established as far back as two centuries ago in 1809. It is considered to be one of the most prestig ...

in 1939. Taken prisoner during the German offensive in September, 1939, he escaped and returned to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where he became active in the underground movement while working in the orthopedic department of the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

hospital. During the 1944

Warsaw Rising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

he managed a field hospital. "Thirteen is My Lucky Number"
Bill C. Biega, ''Warsaw Uprising'' website After seven months as

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

Stalag IV-B Stalag IV-B was one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps in Germany during World War II, located north-east of the town of Mühlberg. It held Polish, French, British, Australian, Soviet, South African, Italian and other Allied prisoners of war. ...

he made his way to England via the

Polish II Corps The 2nd Polish Corps (), 1943–1947, was a major tactical and operational unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Władysław Anders and fought with distinction in the Italian Ca ...

in Italy. Shortly after he was

demobilised Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...

in 1948, Vitali was appointed orthopedic registrar at Queen Mary's Hospital in

Roehampton Roehampton is an area in southwest London, sharing its SW15 postcode with neighbouring Putney and Kingston Vale, and takes up a far western strip, running north to south, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large counc ...

and commenced his lifelong work with amputees and developing improved artificial limbs. Vitali was elected a Fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

in 1963. In 1968 he became principal medical officer for

prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...

research at the hospital. After his retirement in 1979 he continued as a consultant for Queen Mary's Hospital,

Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 the ...

and the

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) is a specialist orthopaedic hospital located in Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow, run by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. It provides the most comprehensive range of neuro- ...

. On behalf of the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

he travelled all over the world, giving lectures and instructional courses to help improve the quality of prosthetic care and fitting of artificial limbs in many countries. He was trustee and adviser for the Douglas Bader Centre at Queen Mary's Hospital. In the 1980s, the Polish government awarded him the Order of

Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, ...

in recognition of his work with prosthetics, and the Cross of Valour (''Krzyż Walecznych'') for his bravery in the Warsaw Rising. In 1986, he was made an Officer of the

(OBE), in recognition of his work for wounded British soldiers. He was co-author of a major textbook ''Amputations and Prostheses'' (), published in London in 1978 and translated into many languages.

References

General references

* * Obituary in the London "Times", March 5, 1992

Specific references

External links

Obituary in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitali, Miroslaw Polish orthopaedic surgeons 1914 births 1992 deaths People from Uman British orthopaedic surgeons Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Warsaw Uprising insurgents Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 20th-century Polish surgeons Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom