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Kanaar, M.D. (Adrian C.) papers
Biomed.0106
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Adrian C. Kanaar, M.D. papers
Creator:
Kanaar, Adrian Charles
Identifier/Call Number: Biomed.0106
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1940-2001
Abstract: Dr. Kanaar was a British-born and -trained surgeon who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War II, in France
and Belgium up to the retreat at Dunkirk, in various battlefield locations after D-day, and in Berlin during the occupation.
This collection focuses mostly on his non-medical writings, namely descriptions of his war experiences in Europe and of the
conditions he observed there. Included are several typescripts of two unpublished books: 1. "War-time reflections by a British
Army surgeon", which was based partly on a series of talks given by Capt. Kanaar during three months spent in the United States
while on special leave; 2. "The Sign of the Hammer and Sickle " which is also partly based on wartime experiences; 3. typescripts
of a number of published and unpublished essays, articles, and letters to newspapers. The bulk of the collection dates to
1940-1948.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
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Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
[Identification of item], Adrian C. Kanaar, M.D. papers (Collection 106). Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and
Special Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processed by UCLA Biomedical Library staff.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID:
9966614103606533
The collection was a gift from Dr. Margaret H. Jones-Kanaar to the UCLA Biomedical Library.
Adrian C. Kanaar, MD, MRCP (London), FRCS (Edinburgh) (1911-1993) qualified M.B. at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, in
1934, received a B.S. from London University in 1936, had surgical training at Edinburgh University, and was awarded the M.D.
from the British Postgraduate Medical School in 1939. That year he was called to active service with the Royal Army Medical
Corps and was active in France and Belgium through the retreat at Dunkirk; he returned to the Continent after D-Day and served
in various stations, including occupied Berlin. On special leave in 1942 in the U.S., Captain Kanaar began a series of talks
about his war experiences, wanting to foster Anglo-American cooperation and to clear up what he felt were misconceptions about
the war and about the British. These talks evolved into some of the manuscript chapters included in this collection. His experiences
in Germany after the war's end, and especially his impressions of the administration in the Russian zone, are described in
the second major manuscript in this collection, and in many of the shorter pieces.
In 1948 Dr. Kanaar had the honor of presenting a Hunterian lecture to the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Shortly thereafter
he and his wife and son emigrated to Eastern Canada where he practiced orthopedic surgery and physical medicine. In 1959 he
moved to Buffalo, NY, to become Director of Physical Medicine, Department of Public Health, and Associate Professor at the
University of Buffalo Medical School. In 1964, the year he became a US citizen, the family moved to Poughkeepsie, NY, where
he maintained a private practice in physical medicine and rehabilitation until his retirement in 1984. He was active in and
cited for community leadership in physical fitness, and was a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. He published
widely in the fields of rehabilitation and fitness, and practiced what he preached: as a young man he made two attempts to
swim the English Channel, coming within a mile and a half of his goal; at age 74, he swam the 28.5 miles around New York City's
Manhattan Island. He stated that the Channel swims were motivated by the wish to demonstrate that a dedicated Christian could
also be an athlete and a strong individual.
After the death of his wife of 47 years, Dr. Kanaar retired and moved to Pacific Palisades, California. There he met and married
Margaret H. [Holden] Jones, MD in 1989.
The collection focuses mainly on Dr. Kanaar's non-medical writings for 1940-1948, namely accounts of his experiences and observations
in Europe during World War II and the subsequent occupation of Germany. There are various typescripts of two unpublished works,
"United we stand: war-time reflections of a British Army surgeon", covering his service from the war's beginning through the
evacuation from Dunkirk; and "The sign of the Hammer and Sickle", focusing more on the time of the occupation. Also included
are a number of published and unpublished commentaries, letters to newspapers, and articles by Kanaar.
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1. Professional Activities. 3 folders
- Series 2. Personal Beliefs and Accounts. 12 folders
- Series 4. Personal Information. 4 folders
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, English.
Physicians -- Personal narratives.
Jones, Margaret Holden
Kanaar, Adrian Charles -- Manuscripts