Remembrance Sunday, November 8, 2026 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🐹 🎗️

On this Remembrance Sunday, in a year marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, a special tribute to all who served, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the remarkable men of the Guinea Pig Club, whose courage and camaraderie gave a rather familiar little creature a distinguished place in military history.

Founded in 1941, the Guinea Pig Club was an extraordinary fellowship of British and Allied airmen who had suffered severe burns and other injuries during the Second World War. Its members were patients of the pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, Sussex, where they underwent groundbreaking reconstructive surgery.

What began as a circle of friendship, mutual support, and irrepressible humor among recovering aircrew grew into a lifelong brotherhood. The club's annual reunions continued until 2007, preserving bonds forged through extraordinary courage, resilience, and shared experience.

The club's distinctive emblem, or brevet, featured a guinea pig sporting magnificent RAF-style wings. Two versions appeared: one with the guinea pig sitting upright, ears swept back like an intrepid little aviator, and another depicting a more naturalistic guinea pig on all fours. Both became enduring symbols of the club's remarkable spirit and the pioneering medical work that gave its members new hope.

On this Remembrance Sunday, a salute to these extraordinary men, and to all who served.

Lest we forget. ❤️ 🖤 💜