Michael Meredith Brown was a consultant thoracic surgeon at Midhurst Hospital. He was born on 1 May 1918 in Croydon, the first son of Bernard Meredith, an analytic chemist in the brewing industry, and Doris née Cortazzi, a bank clerk. He was educated at St Anselm’s Preparatory School, Croydon, Bradfield College, Berkshire, Jesus College, Cambridge, and then St Thomas’ Hospital, London, qualifying in 1942. Three years later, he obtained his fellowship of the College. He served in the RAF Volunteer Reserve as a squadron leader. After demobilisation and junior hospital posts, he was appointed as a consultant thoracic surgeon at Midhurst Hospital and to the Army at the Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot. His most important publication was a chapter on oesophagoscopy in Rob and Smith’s *Operative surgery* (London, Butterworth, 1978). He married a Miss Woodward in 1942. They had two sons and two daughters.