Jimmy Lister was an emeritus professor of paediatric surgery at the University of Liverpool and a former vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Born in London on 1 March 1923, the son of Thomas Lister, a chartered accountant, and Anna Rebecca Lister, two of his siblings – John

Peter Rickham was one of a small group of pioneering surgeons who helped to establish the specialty of paediatric surgery in the UK. He was born in Berlin on 21 June 1917, where his father, Otto Louis Reichenheim, was professor of physics at Berlin University. His mother was Susanne née Huldschinsky

Brian Turbett Smyth was a consultant paediatric surgeon at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and Ulster Hospital. He was born in Londonderry in Northern Ireland on 2 November 1921, the son of William and Flora West Lindsay Smyth. His father was a merchant. He was educated at Coleraine Aca

David James Waterston was born in St Andrews on 26 August 1910, the son of Professor David Waterston FRSE, FRCSE, Professor of Anatomy in the University of St Andrew's and younger brother of Brigadier Richard E Waterston FRCS (*Lives of the Fellows*, 1974-1982, p.406). He was educated privately at C

Ambrose Jolleys was born on 25 September 1919 in Ireleth, Westmoreland. He was educated at Urmston Grammar School, Manchester, and graduated MB ChB from Liverpool University in 1942. He was appointed a consultant in 1952, the first full-time paediatric surgeon in Manchester. He was a true pioneer

Valentine Andrew James Swain was a paediatric surgeon in London's East End. He was born on 21 February 1910, a twin, in Ilford, Essex, into a family with a strong medical tradition. His father, James Steel Swain, and grandfather were both doctors. His mother was Mary Blanche née MacMunn. He went fro

Vanessa Wright was a consultant paediatric surgeon at the Royal London Hospital. She was born on 1 August 1943 in Chichester, Sussex, and studied medicine at University College, London, qualifying in 1966. She was a registrar at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton and at University Col

Duncan Forrest was a distinguished member of that first generation of paediatric surgeons, most of whom trained at Great Ormond Street in the early years of the National Health Service, who pioneered specialist surgical units in children’s and in general hospitals across the country. Later in life h

Donald Manton Llewelyn was a paediatric surgeon at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney. He was born in Sydney on 11 December 1929, the sixth child and fourth son of Arthur Stuart Llewelyn, an insurance executive, and Loys Llewelyn née Bartrim, the daughter of a farmer. He was educated at Roseville

John Meiring Beck was a consultant paediatric surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 10 August 1933. His father, Johannes Henricus Meiring Beck, was a general practitioner; his mother, Mavis Beck née Courtenay, was a legal secretary prior to her marriage. B

Jay Grosfeld was, in the eyes of many, the foremost American academic paediatric surgeon of his time. A large man with a warm personality and an ever-present friendly smile, he was a wonderful host to visiting surgeons, a superb teacher and someone revered on both sides of the Atlantic by all who kn

Helen Noblett, the first female paediatric surgeon in Australia, was a pioneering and innovative surgeon in Melbourne and then in Bristol, UK. She was brought up in Roma, Queensland and made an impression at Roma State School as a sporty, bright and hard-working scholar who won prizes and a scholars