Joseph Banat Been

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Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Birth

Birth:

Date: 25 DEC 1916

Place: Africa, South Africa, Rustenburg^[1]

Death

Death:

Date: 8 AUG 2007^[2]

Data Changed

Data Changed:

Date: 24 SEP 2007

Prior to import, this record was last changed 24 SEP 2007.

Bar Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah:

Date: 13 JAN 1930^[3]

Emigration

Emigration:

Date: AUG 1964

Place: then Edinburgh^[4]

Retirement

Retirement:

Date: APR 1991

Place: Europe, England, London^[5]

Occupation

Occupation: MB, ChB DPH, General practioner, Rustenburg^[6]

Note

Note: After qualification dad did 6 months as a houseman in the "non-european hospital" adjacent to Joburg General. As houseman was often called on to give anaesthetics in casualty. Then he did some months locum for Ben + other locums and anaesthetics. On one occasion he didi a locum in Groot Marica (on the way to Zeerust) for a month and earned ¹45. The doctor for whom he was locuming gave da a "rubbish" car and on New Years night dad had to go to see a patient on a farm. It statrted to rain and the car got stuck and he couldn't get it started again, then there was no petrplleft - and that month pettrol rationing was introduced. Some african took some money an dthe petrol can and returned with the petrol but by now the river was a torrent and not passable. Dad was supposed to return the car and finish the locum. Somehow he managed to contact the Dr and explain what had happened. Willie came to fetch him and he crossed the river via a footpath.

Dad then volunteered for the army (1941). His first posting was at Baraguanath and he went to get his uniform. (Alf Hennochsberg had a factory and contracts to make army uniforms so he went to Alf who gave him an officers uniform. but when he put it on found that it was lopsided. H ethen got a uniform made!

He was at Baraguanath for about 2 months. He knew nothing about army etiquette (usually Dr went on a training "chain gang"). One day he went to see Colonel Fergusson and while there a Surgeon General came in. Dad shook hands with him - afterwards a major (administrator told him the Colonel wasn't pleased as dad hadn't even saluted the General. He was told he could have been jailed for not doing that.

The duty list for the week would be posted on a notice board. Not being listed that week he made arrangements to go to Rustenburg. Then an amended list appeared with him on call - no option but to do it. On dad's ward were mainly Polish Sailors, mainly suffering from TB - he had to give them a pneumothorax. (That's where dad met Adler)

Then he was posted to a unit in Aukland Park in Jo'burg (army base) - while thereNoel Coward came to entertain the troops.

Then posted to a camp called Lenz ( where the photo was taken) - army unit that included afriican and "white" soldiers, also a munitions factory and Hospital there. Dad was one of the medical officers, again also giving anaesthetics. He was there for about 3 years.

Then he was posted to a hospital outside Springs (called Velchedach). This was a huge army camp for SA african soldies. There fro 2 years.

Les and Phi had already joined hte army before dad did. Les did his housejob in Durban and joined up and almost immediately went to Egypt and subsequently to Italy. He came back to SA in 1945 (at same time as dad was at Lembech).

They both then did a DPH, a 2 year course at Witz.

Mom and dad got married after dad had finished his DPH and shortly afterwards they went to East London.

Then dad worked got a job as district surgeon in East London for abt 3 years. (Les got a job as district surgeon in Port Elizabeth). One of his duties was to examine patients before their punishment (to see if they were fit enough). One day a reporter from the local paper (East London Herald) wanted to speak to dad. He phoned the office and was told that Dr Been was in prison!

He did have to inspect the "sick parade", look after the prison warders and examin patients getting lashings with a Sanbach (once a cat 0 nine tails.

While dad went to work mum went to the beach with Mel.

After nearly 3 years decided to get a transfer to Joburg. They then stayed with Sheila and Eff for 3 months. Charlie had a house in Hillbrow and they then moved in there, as Charlie was then living with Ben and Claire because Minnie had died shortly after Mel was born.

They then moved to Jo'burg where dad worked as a district surgeon for 6 months. Again he had to exarnin prisoners to see if they ere fit enough for their punishment (eg IOn lashes).

Once he was asked to go and see a policeman in Orlando Township (but it was too dangerous at night and the policeman had to come to him).

As district surgeon (both jobs) he also had to perform post mortems.

Then Dad went to Rustenburg and took over Ben's practice (in Van Staaden Street.) Ben then went to work full time on the mines. When Ben did operations there (eg appendicectomy) then dad would go and give the

anaes thetic.

Dad used to give anaestheics by the "rag and bottle" method. Using a Muslin cloth, Ethyl chloride gas was breathed for induction, then ether was dripped onto the muslin. Sebsequently when dad gave anaestheics at Vechendact Hospital he started using oxygen and a mask.

For dentistrty, Ethyl chloride/ Ethyl was used and the dentist would do a total clearance in 2 minutes,

When Dad took over Ben's practice he also took over doing anaesthetics in theHospital in Rustenburg for all patients who were government patients- and sometimes for an excellent surgeon, Dr Frank Lundie who was especially skilled at orhtopaedics (when Dr Hill was away - Dr Lundie's brother in Law). Dr Lundie's wife had asthma and dad treated her - the little bronze Box downstairs was given to dad from them.

Cecil Been was a house officer in the Hospital in Rustenberg - the housemen lived on the corridor going towards theatre.

One day when dad was giving an anesthetic he noticed a funny smell and the patient started to wake up. The smell was of Benzine (used for cleaning) and which was being administered instead of ether. A bottle of Benzine had broke in the HO room and this had been poured into an empty ether bottle. The orderly who cleaned everything and brought tea for the housemen picked up the bottle and took it to theatre.

After that a new house officer arrived and said "what's all this ether" amd introduced pentahal, fluathane and laryngascopes - and dad realised this was much better!

Dad also did locum surgeries for Willie. One time having done a surgery for Wille who was the distric surgeon for Rustenburg, he went back to do his own surgery. A man turned up at the surgery who loooked very familiar. Dad asked, did you by any chance see the districs surgeon today? The man replied, "Yes - but you don't get proper medication there - only if you pay for it".

One time dad had a call to Smith Street and delivered a baby in a garage. Dad kept the baby in the garage as there were no incubators and the baby was calle Jo Garage ( and survived).^[7]

Marriage

Husband: Joseph Banat Been

Wife: Clarice Sischy

Child: Melanie Been

Child: Martin Been

Child: Carol Been

Child: Susan Been

Marriage:

Date: 7 AUG 1947^[8]

Husband: Zalman Been

Wife: Malka Chait

Child: Benjamin Been

Child: Emmie Been

Child: Philip Been

Child: Willie Been

Child: Joseph Banat Been

Child: Leslie Been

Child: Ephraim Been

Marriage:

Date: 1897

Place: Europe, Lithuania, Kaunas Gubernia, Panevezys^[9]

Sources

• WikiTree profile Been-33 created through the import of fulltree.GED on Jan 5, 2012 by Max Heffler Heffler. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Max Heffler and others.

• Source: S1358 Title: Africa, South Africa (Jewish Rootsbank) Abbreviation: Africa, South Africa (Jewish Rootsbank) Italicized: Y
• Source: S1612 Title: Been, Martin Abbreviation: Been, Martin Publication: LitvakSig digest / Jan 26, 2006 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y
• Source: S501 Title: Been Family Tree Abbreviation: Been Family Tree Italicized: Y

1. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
2. ↑ Source: #S1612 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
3. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
4. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
5. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
6. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
7. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
8. ↑ Source: #S501 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2
9. ↑ Source: #S1358 Quality or Certainty of Data: 2