Norman Bethune

On March 3, 1890, Norman Bethune was born into a clerical family in Ontario, Canada. His grandfather was a well-known surgeon in Toronto. He has been interested in dissecting animals since he was a child and aspired to be a surgeon like his grandfather.

Bethune's life was full of dramatic experiences and a noble spirit of self-dedication.

During World War I, Bethune joined the Canadian Army Field Ambulance Corps in France. Later, he served as a medical officer on British warships and in the Canadian Flying Corps.

After the end of the First World War, Bethune devoted himself to the study of medicine. He worked in hospitals in London, went to Paris, Vienna, Berlin to observe the surgeries of famous European surgeons, and opened clinics in Detroit in the United States... Gradually, Bethune became famous. By the 1930s, Bethune had made many significant achievements in the research and treatment of thoracic surgery diseases, becoming a well-known thoracic surgeon in Europe and the United States. In 1935, Bethune joined the Communist Party of Canada.

In August 1936, German and Italian fascists invaded Spain. Bethune resolutely gave up his generous treatment and comfortable life in the medical profession and joined the Canadian People's Volunteer Army to assist Spain. He served as a field ambulance captain, risking his life to rescue the wounded on the battlefield. On July 7, 1937, the Japanese imperialists launched a full-scale war of aggression against China. After Bethune learned of it, he strongly appealed for assistance to the Chinese people in the Anti-Japanese War. At Bethune's request, the Communist Parties of Canada and the United States allowed him to bring a large number of medical equipment to China in January 1938.

After Bethune arrived in Yan 'an and met Comrade Mao Zedong, the first thing he did was solemnly submit his party card, then explained in detail his work plan, and requested that he be sent to the front line. He said: "I am not here to enjoy life! It is the wounded who need to be taken care of, not myself! "On the anti-Japanese front in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region, like soldiers of the Eighth Route Army and ordinary people in the countryside, he wore straw sandals and coarse cloth clothes and ate corn cobs and yam eggs. An interpreter advised him: "You are a health consultant of the military region and your contribution is much greater than ours. It is not special to eat well and ensure your health." "Bethune said: " Contribution is not a bankbook in a bank. If you make a big contribution, you should reach out to the people and ask for more interest." I am a communist fighter. How can I ask for special things from the party and the people? "Bethune was based on the principle of" thinking of everything for the wounded "and worked regardless of sleep and food, never considering personal safety. In order to rescue the wounded in time, he always set up the ambulance station close to the front line. During the battle, Bethune often operated on the wounded continuously and could not sleep for dozens of hours. During the battles of Hejian and Qihui, Bethune's operating theater was set up in a small temple a few miles away from the front line. The Japanese invaders 'bomb fell in the backyard of the small temple and collapsed the temple wall, but Bethune remained unmoved and worked continuously for 69 hours until he operated on 115 injured people. In order to save the lives of the wounded, Bethune donated blood several times and even sacrificed his life in the end. In October 1939, the Japanese army launched a large-scale "winter sweep". At the front line of Motianling, the fighting was very fierce, and the enemy was getting closer and closer to the village where the medical team was located, but Bethune insisted on operating on the last 10 wounded. When guns and bullets exploded outside the operating room, Bethune thought of how to save the injured man's legs. It was not until the last operation was performed that Bethune evacuated with confidence. It was during this operation that the middle finger of his left hand was cut by a scalpel. The next day, he still insisted on operating on the injured person. As a result, the wound began to become inflamed and suffered severe pain. A few days later, Bethune was fatally infected while operating on a critically injured person infected with erysipelas and cellulitis from a head injury.

Bethune's body was buried in the Cemetery of Martyrs, North China Military Region, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province.

Bethune's hometown is Gravenhurst. The picture shows the city's central post office

Gravenhurst Municipal Office

Self-portrait of Bethune (1935)

Exterior view of Bethune's former residence

Interior of Bethune's former residence (living room)

Interior of Bethune's former residence (study)