Frank Pantridge MC : Japanese Prisoner of War and Inventor of the Portable Defibrillator

This stirring biography reveals the full story of a remarkable man who survived against the odds to save countless lives. Countless thousands of men and women around the world have good reason to be thankful that Frank Partridge survived three and a half years of brutal Japanese captivity. Had he not, they too would in all probability have died too. Taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Frank was forced to endure appalling deprivation. Conditions on the Burma railway were notorious and the death rate was horrendous. On returning to Belfast in late 1945 Frank specialized in heart diseases. Convinced that the prompt application of electric shock after cardiac arrest could save lives he reasoned that ventricular defibrillation should be applied not just in hospitals but in the workplace, the home, the street or ambulance. His first ‘portable’ defibrillator was produced in 1965 and over the intervening years evolved into the compact units so prevalent today. The importance of Partridge’s invention was well demonstrated when US President Lyndon B Johnston’s life was saved in 1972. This stirring biography reveals the full story of a remarkable man who survived against the odds to save countless lives. A biography of the British World War II veteran and Japanese POW camp survivor who went on to create a life-saving device. Countless thousands of men and women around the world have good reason to be thankful that Frank Pantridge survived three and a half years of brutal Japanese captivity. Had he not, they too would in all probability have died too. Taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Frank was forced to endure appalling deprivation. Conditions on the Burma railway were notorious, and the death rate was horrendous. On returning to Belfast in late 1945, Frank specialized in heart diseases. Convinced that the prompt application of electric shock after cardiac arrest could save lives, he reasoned that ventricular defibrillation should be applied not just in hospitals but in the workplace, the home, the street or ambulance. His first "portable" defibrillator was produced in 1965 and over the intervening years evolved into the compact units so prevalent today. The importance of Pantridge's invention was well demonstrated when U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnston's life was saved in 1972. This stirring biography reveals the full story of a remarkable man who survived against the odds to save countless lives. Praise for Frank Pantridge MC "Cecil Lowry's book describes a man who...survived against all the odds. . . . A fascinating and moving story." — Books Monthly (UK) Cover Title page Copyright Table of contents Acknowledgements Timeline Foreword Introduction Chapter 1 Early Years Chapter 2 Enlistment Chapter 3 The Japanese Invasion of Malaya Chapter 4 Changi Prisoner of War Camp Singapore Plate section Chapter 5 F Force and the Death Railway Chapter 6 Homeward Bound Chapter 7 Belfast and the RVH again Chapter 8 Twilight Years Conclusion Appendix I James Frank Pantridge –Obituary by Professor Alun Evans Appendix II People Who Knew the Real Frank Pantridge Appendix III Famous People Whose Lives Have BeenSaved by a Defibrillator Bibliography Index Back cover Frank Pantridge's life has been one of survival and service and makes for great reading.