Letters


52 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

THE PUBLIC IMAGE OF SMOKING 
From Lt M Cardwell, RAMC(V) and Maj J Rennet!, 
RAMC 

207 (Manchester) General Hospital RAMC(V) was 
recently deployed to provide medical cover at the Interna-
tional Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford where two Russian 
MIG 29 fighters collided. To many the lasting image will 
be that of one of the downed pilots immediately lighting 
up a cigarette. This was well publicised on television and 
the front page of newspapers such as Today. What might 
not be so well known is that of the first twenty members 
of the rescue team seen at 207 for suspected smoke-
inhalation injury, no less than twelve were, on admission, 
smoking cigarettes! One might perhaps forgive the pilot, 

who was on his second by the time he got to us, for a mid-
air collision must be pretty stressful, but should publicity 
be given to the relief of such stress in such a manner? For-
tunately our padre managed to whisk him back to his 
countrymen or maybe by now he might be replacing the 
Marlboro cowboy as a role model for the impressionable. 

207(Manchester) General Hospital RAMC(V) 
TA Centre 
Kings Road 
Manchester 
MI67RS 

OIlITUARIES 

Regimental Headquarters would welcome self 
written obituaries and when completed they 
should be forwarded to Regimental Secretary 
RHQ, RAMC, Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, 
Aldershot, Hants GU12 SRQ. 

We are etc 
M Cardwell 

J Bennett 

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