John Hadfield was an outstanding teacher and ambassador for British surgery. He was born in Long Ashton near Bristol on 19 April 1923. His family hailed from Plymouth. His father, Geoffrey Hadfield, was professor of pathology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and later became the Sir William Collins prof

Louis Bloom Cohen spent much of his career as a surgeon in various politically unstable countries in Africa and in Iran. He was born in Glasgow on 16 November 1915, the son of Arthur Israel Cohen, a company director with the Rank Organisation, and Louise née Bloom. He was educated at St Paul's Schoo

Gilbert Benjamin Rowland Walkey - known as 'Ben' - was a surgeon who spent most of his working life in India. He was born in Marazion, Cornwall, on 27 June 1916. His father, Oliver, was a clerk in holy orders. Ben was one of seven children. He had an older brother, Sam, and five younger brothers and

Keith Lothian was a general surgeon in Birkenhead. He was born in 1919 in Dunedin, New Zealand, and raised in the city. He studied medicine at Otago University, qualifying in 1943. He then joined the New Zealand Medical Corps, becoming a captain. In 1947 he worked his passage to the UK as a ship's

Nowell Peach was a GP surgeon in Horsham, Sussex. He was born in Bristol on 30 June 1913, the son of Alec Hamilton Peach, an insurance agent, and Madeleine Lucy Pugh Peach née White. He was educated at Clifton College and went on to study medicine at the University of Bristol's medical school, quali

John Talbot was a popular and highly regarded graduate of St Mary's Hospital Medical School and surgeon at Harold Wood Hospital. Born on 12 August 1912 in Wales, he was educated at Llandovery College. Like others at Mary's he had played rugby as a schoolboy for Wales. He was in the legendary pre-sec

Norman Albert Austin Cust was an Australian surgeon. He was born in Beulah, Victoria, Australia, the only child of Albert George and Jeannie Mccracken Cust. He served in the RAF during the Second World War and gained his FRCS in 1948. In 1943 he married Frances Irene Lysons. They had five childre

Anthony ('Tony') Harding Rains was the first holder of the chair of surgery at Charing Cross Hospital, an authority on diseases of the biliary system, but arguably best known for his longstanding editorship of *Bailey and Love's short practice of surgery* (London, H K Lewis). Tony was the tenth c

Derrick Randall was a consultant general surgeon in Sheffield. He was born on 10 June 1921 in Luton, the son of Joseph and Rose Randall. He won a scholarship to Ashton Grammar School in Dunstable and then studied medicine at King's College, London, and Westminster Hospital. He qualified in April 194

Edward Hamilton Paterson was medical director and medical planning director of the United Christian Medical Service, Hong Kong. He was born on 5 August 1920 in Lushan in Jiangxi province, China. His great-grandfather had four sons, all of whom became ministers. His father, James Lee Hamilton, the fi

Owen Daniel was a consultant general surgeon for the Clwyd and Deeside Health Board, Wales. He was born in Ystradgynlais, Breconshire, on 19 February 1917, the third child of David Daniel, a mining engineer and colliery manager, and his wife, Annie. Brought up in the south Wales valleys, Owen and hi

Harold Holmwood Renyard was a consultant surgeon in Nottingham and Newark. The son of a south London policeman, he studied medicine at King's College Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1940. During the Blitz he worked as a casualty officer, and later served as a surgeon lieutenant in the Navy