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This article assesses the contributions of Wilfred Bion and John Rickman to military psychiatry in World War II in the light of their lives and careers before the war. While Bion entered World War II with a distinguished record as a tank commander in World War I and an analysis with Rickman that was incomplete, the Quaker and ex-conscientious objector Rickman was surprised to find himself made a Major in the British Army. The creative partnership which Bion's letters to Rickman document, and which resulted in substantial developments in the understanding of groups, stemmed in part from the ways in which each was able to draw on their earlier experiences and reputations, one as a founding figure in the British psychoanalytic community, the other as a decorated veteran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a collection of 29 letters, 27 from Wilfred Bion to John Rickman, one addressed to Mrs Rickman and one from Rickman to Bion. These letters have been fully transcribed, annotated and published for the first time and offer a rare glimpse into the blossoming relationship between the two men and the gradual emergence of Bion's intellect through his work in War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), the Northfield Military hospital and the exploratory groups at the Tavistock Clinic.Through this material it becomes evident that Bion's fascination with the work undertaken at WOSBs had more to do with the social ramifications of the principles and ideology applied there rather than with particular techniques per se, such as 'leaderless groups'. Furthermore, the reader becomes witness to Rickman's profound influence on Bion's analytic work and in cultivating his interest in therapeutic institutions, ultimately leading to their groundbreaking work at Northfield Military hospital. While Bion's descriptions of his post-war group work at the Tavistock Clinic offer the first signs of his unique theory and technique on the exploration of group dynamics. The continuation of their correspondence until Rickman's untimely death is a testament to their strong collegial and personal relationship which transcended analytical work and other professional engagements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]