John Henry Kettle studied at Sydney University where he was President of the Medical Society 1952-3. He graduated MB BS in 1951 and became resident medical officer at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney 1951-2. He came to England and was surgical registrar at St Luke's Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, in 1954, at the same time passing the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. On his return to Australia, he became surgical registrar to the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, 1955-6, Cancer Research Fellow in 1957 and then honorary surgeon to the Wollongong Hospital and the Bulli District Hospital, New South Wales. He passed his FRACS in 1956 and was a member of the AMA. He is thought to have died in 1976.