• The Institute of Accident Surgery was established in the Declaration of Trust signed on 31 March 1951 by Professor William Wynn Physician at the Birmingham Accident Hospital, William Gissane Medical Director, Peter Essex-Lopresti Trauma Surgeon and Douglas Jackson Burns Surgeon.  The above people agreed to establish at the Accident Hospital a research and teaching organisation which was to be called the Institute of Accident Surgery.
• The objectives of the Institute were:
  • To encourage research by members of the Institute towards the progress of accident surgery including to this end visits by members to medical centres at home and abroad.
  • To teach the need for skilled surgical treatment in all stages of injury and particular at acute stages.
  • To hold such courses of lectures for post-graduate medical students and practising surgeons and such other courses of lectures for medical practitioners and other interested persons as the Trustees shall from time to time decide which said courses should so be designed as to emphasise the principles being practised and the advances being made both at the hospital and elsewhere in the treatment of acute injury
  • To attract the interest of surgeons and medical practitioners to the work of the hospital 
• The foundation members of the Institute were to consist of persons on the staff at the hospital who were regular teachers on post-graduate courses at the Hospital 
• The Trustees will be appointed from members of the Institute of Accident Surgery
• New members for the Institute will be nominated from among the persons on the staff of the hospital by members of the Institute for the time being and their appointment shall be subject to the approval of the Trustees.  It was agreed that nominated members would need to be a teacher on the post-graduate courses at the hospital 
• The Trustees maintain the rights to charge appropriate fees for persons attending courses of lectures at the hospital
• Monies from subscriptions, legacies and other monies including courses were placed in a “surgical research fund” which was to be used as follows:
  • To pay expenses incurred in relation to the efficient running of the institute
  • The Trustees retained the opportunity to support financially research and teaching on matters connected with accident surgery including visits by members of the Institute to medical centres both in the United Kingdom and abroad
  • These monies could also be used for the purchase of technical books and equipment to support the function of the Accident Hospital
• The Institute held regular meetings including the annual William Gissane Trauma Symposia
• Other meetings included fairly frequent meetings in relation to head injuries, spinal trauma and from time to time pre-hospital care
• The Institute maintained control of the annual Ruscoe Clarke lectures as well as the Gissane Lecture
• In the latter years under the guidance of Mr Kaya Alpar the Institute supported a Master of Medical Science in Trauma annual degree course
• Major symposia were often followed by a speaker/faculty dinner held at the University Staff House
• The Institute continued to function for several years after the closure of the Accident Hospital and move of trauma services to the General Hospital 

(Attempted) Transcript of the Institute of Accident Surgery photo

To all and singular to whom these presents shall come, Sir Anthony Richard Wagner Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Clarenceux King of Arms and Aubrey John Toppin, Esquire, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms send greeting.

Whereas Peter Stanford London, Esquire, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of the University of London, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Secretary of the Institute of Accident Surgery, hath represented into the Most Noble Bernard Marmaduke, Duke of Norfolk, Knight of the Most Noble Orders of the Garters, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Earl Marshal and Hereditary Honourable Privy Council that by a Declaration of Trust bearing date the thirty first day of March 1951 certain.

Trustees therein named declared their intention of establishing at Birmingham Accident Hospital a research and teaching organisation to be called the Institute of Accident Surgery having for it’s principle object the encouragement of research by members of the said Institute towards the progress of accident surgery and that on the sixteenth day of April 1961 the said Institute was duly established. That the affairs of the Institute of Accident Surgery are administered and directed by the said Trustees who are desirous of having Armorial Ensigns duly assigned for the Institute of Accident Surgery with lawful authority and he hath requested the favour of His Graces Warrant for Our granting and assigning such Arms and Crest and in the same Patent such Supporters as may be proper to be borne and used for the Institute of Accident Surgery on Seals or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms. And forasmuch as the said Earl Marshal did by warrant under his hand and Seal bearing date twenty sixth day of September last authorize and direct Us to grant and assign such Arms and Crest and such Supporters accordingly. 

Know ye therefore that We the said Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster in pursuance of His Grace’s Warrant and by virtue of the Letters Patent of Our several Offices to each of Us respectively granted do by these Presents grant and assign the Arms following for the Institute of Accident Surgery that is to say: Argent a Hurt environed by a Snake nowed in chief Sent purfled On And for the Crest Out of an Accident Crown On an Arm embowed vested Argent the hand proper grasping a Rod of Aesculapius Gules the Serpent Sert, Mantled Azure, doubled Argent, as the same are in the margin here of more plainly depicted. And by the Authority a foresaid I the said Garter doby these Presents further grant and assign the Supporters following for the Institute of Accident Surgery that is to say:- On either side a representation of St. Barbara proper as the same are the same also in the margin here of more plainly depicted the whole to be borne and used forever here after for the Institute of Accident  Surgery on Seals or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms. 

In witness where of We the said Garters, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms have to these Presents subseribed Our names and affixed the Seals of Our several offices this twelfth day of March in the eleventh year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith and in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty-two.