John Raine, one of New Zealand's most distinguished surgeons, was born on 12 March 1919 in Wellington. His father John was an importer of china and glassware. His mother was Harriet Eva née Cox. John was educated at Scots College, Wellington, where he was *dux* in 1933, winnng the Pattie cup for the

Denis Shaw was a consultant surgeon at Keighley and Airedale. He qualified at Leeds in 1940, having represented the Combined English Universities at fencing, and taking his turn at fire-watching. He always remembered watching bombs dropping on the City Museum. After house jobs he joined the RAMC, ri

Bryan Luker was a consultant general surgeon at Rotherham and Mexborough hospitals. He was born in London, in Hampstead, on 5 July 1916, the only child of Herbert William Luker MBE and Ella Matilda Henrietta, the daughter of Adam Hauch, the headmaster of the local grammar school in Roskilde, Denmark

Kodituwakku Gnanapala Jayasekera was a distinguished surgeon in Sri Lanka and Australia. He was born in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). He travelled to the UK, where he became a Fellow of the College in 1948. Soon after, he returned to Sri Lanka. In 1954 he was appointed as honorary surgeon to the Queen, d

Gordon Walker was a consultant surgeon on the Isle of Wight. He was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1919. He studied medicine at Melbourne University, qualifying in 1942. Shortly afterwards, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a medical officer and was posted to the UK, attached to RAAF Spi

Alan Pollock was a consultant surgeon at Scarborough Hospital, Yorkshire. He was born on 10 September 1921 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and went to school and University in Cape Town, where he graduated in medicine in 1943, winning a medal in surgery along the way. After house appointments he join

Robert (Robin) Tagart was born in Northern Rhodesia on 21 June 1919 and was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College, Oxford, to which he won a Rhodes scholarship. He qualified in 1942 and during the war served as a surgeon-lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Subsequently he was appointed re

Gottlieb graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 1934 and practised in Johannesburg. After the second world war he came to Britain for postgraduate study, and took the Edinburgh and English Fellowship. Returning to South Africa he practised successfully as a surgical consultant at 904 Harl

Noel Curtis Newton was born on 28 June 1917 at Ashfield, Sydney, Australia. His father was a pharmacist. He was educated at St Joseph's College and Sydney University. He qualified in 1941. He had poliomyelitis at the age of three years, which left him partly paralysed in one leg, and prevented him f

Victor Cumberland qualified in Sydney and came to England after the war to specialise in surgery. Having passed the final FRCS he returned to Sydney to become honorary assistant surgeon to the Royal North Shore Hospital and surgeon to St Joseph's Hospital, Auburn. He died on 20 April 1997.

Richard Langford was born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa, on 30 October 1918, the son of Cyril Archibald Rowley Langford, a senior schools' inspector, and Constance, née Etheridge, an art teacher and daughter of a Norfolk farmer. His grandfather and great-grandfather were both mili

After the war Alan Johnson came to England to specialise in surgery and returned to Taupo, New Zealand after he had passed the FRCS in 1948. He died on 10 January 1995.