FERMANAGH doctors who served in World War II, including a pioneering Enniskillen man who transformed breakfast tables across the globe, have been commemorated in a new book.
Dr Denis Burkitt, of Laragh, Ballinamallard, is among the doctors celebrated in ‘Irish Doctors in the Second World War’ by Patrick J Casey, Kevin T Cullen and Joe P Duigan.
The book contains a Roll of Honour recording all the Irish doctors who served, were decorated, or lost their lives in the conflict, including Dr Burkitt and a number of other Fermanagh natives.
Dr Burkitt was a major in east Africa until 1946. He went on to have a pioneering career that changed the course of modern medicine, and is the author of ‘citation classics’ in two different medical fields.
In the area of cancer research he discovered the first cancer to be caused by a virus, now known as Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Dr Burkitt is also the reason we all now know the importance of eating our greens, with the Fermanagh man proving the importance of dietary fibre.
Dr Burkitt’s brother Robert Burkitt is also included in the Roll of Honour. Dr Robert, who established himself as a highly-respected consultant general surgeon in England after the war, joined the army in 1939 and was sent to France, where he was stationed in Normandy.
A number of other Fermanagh doctors are included on the Roll of Honour, however the book does not elaborate on the details of the individual doctors.
They are Kenneth Anderson of The Rectory, Lisnaskea; Brendan Betty of Fort Lodge, Enniskillen; George Sinclair Caithness of Lisnaskea and also St Margaret’s Vicarage, Fivemiletown; George Rankin Connolly, Lisnaskea; Philip Corrigan, Orchard Terrace, Enniskillen; Joseph Dundas, Lurgandarragh, Enniskillen; Robert Flood, Enniskillen; Matthew Neely of Beneden, Derrykeeghan; and Ernest Satchwell, Fort Lodge, Enniskillen.
Another doctor with a connection to the county discussed in the book was Portora alumni and Military Cross recipient Alfred Denis (Andy) Parsons, who was originally from Athlone but moved to Enniskillen to attend the famous school.
He saw action with the Inniskillings when Germany invaded France in 1940. In 1941 he was sent to north Africa, joining the Royal East Kent Regiment, and was later involved with the landings at Anzio, during which he suffered a serious leg injury.
Having initially returned to Ireland after the war, Dr Parsons emigrated to New Zealand. In 1953 he disappeared on a boat with 24 other passengers.

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