British State Provision of Prosthetic Limbs and the Two World Wars
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of History
Abstract
This project will explore the relationship between the British government, prosthetics
manufacturers and men whose limbs were amputated as a result of service during the two
world wars. The student will explore the social, economic and cultural impact of this form of
war disability, with a focus on the agency of disabled individuals as demonstrated through
interactions with political and industrial institutions. Building on the work of historians of
welfare, medicine, and disability this project will examine the influence of a specific category
of disabled individuals on the shape of state-provided medical care in twentieth-century
Britain.
manufacturers and men whose limbs were amputated as a result of service during the two
world wars. The student will explore the social, economic and cultural impact of this form of
war disability, with a focus on the agency of disabled individuals as demonstrated through
interactions with political and industrial institutions. Building on the work of historians of
welfare, medicine, and disability this project will examine the influence of a specific category
of disabled individuals on the shape of state-provided medical care in twentieth-century
Britain.