Born on 29 March 1910, the third child of David Shackman, a manufacturing jeweller and diamond merchant, Ralph was educated at the Grocers' Company School and St Bartholomew's Hospital. Before the second world war he was the resident surgical officer at the Royal Infirmary Sheffield where he was enc

Gordon Bryden was a senior lecturer and consultant urologist at the University of Sheffield and the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. He was born on 7 November 1965 in Paisley, Scotland. His father, Archie Bryden, was a virologist, his mother's maiden name was Hunter. His parents moved south when he was t

Andrew Ball, always known to his friends as 'Andy', was a consultant urologist in Southend, Essex. He was born in Bristol on 22 July 1949, the son of Keith Seymour Ball and Joan S Ball née Godfrey. Both parents were schoolteachers in the city and in his youth he regularly accompanied his father to s

Sean Vesey was a consultant urologist on Merseyside. He was born on 2 July 1954 and studied medicine at University College Cork, qualifying in 1979. After completing his basic surgical training, he went to London in 1984 to the Institute of Urology and then continued his specialist training in Taunt

Leslie Ian Parton was born in Wellington on 26 October 1908, the only child of William Parton, an insurance company manager. He was educated at Mount Cook Boys' School and Wellington College where he was a senior national scholar in 1923 and a University national scholar in 1925. Two years later he

Ian Potts was a consultant urologist in Sydney. He was born in Sydney on 30 September 1921, the son of Theodore Kenneth Potts and Violet Mary Potts née Canning. His father, uncle, brother, nephew and cousin were all doctors. He was educated at Newington College, where he was *dux*, and then went on

John Bowie Somerset was born on 6 July 1908 at Mount Morgan, Queensland, the son of H St J Somerset of Melbourne. His early education was at St Peter's College, Adelaide, and in 1926 he entered Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. He qualified in 1931 having obtained second class honours

Robert Morpeth Jameson was a consultant urologist for the Liverpool Area Health Authority, the regional urological centre, Royal Liverpool Hospital, and the regional paraplegic centre, Promenade Hospital, Southport. He studied medicine in Durham, qualifying in 1957. He gained his FRCS in 1962. He

Born in 1903, David Rymal Mitchell received his medical education at the University of Toronto in 1927 and obtained his Fellowship in 1932. He spent his career specialising in urology, being appointed chief urologist at Toronto General Hospital in 1961, and was associate Professor of Surgery at Toro

Henry Kenneth Vernon was born on 10 December 1908, the son of Walter Vernon, a pharmacist, and his wife Sarah Ann, née Davies. He was educated at Hartlepool Grammar School and Durham University College of Medicine where he was awarded the Phillipson Scholarship. He graduated MB, BS in 1931 and was a

George Schnitzler received his medical education at Sydney University, qualifying MB BS with honours in 1951. After qualification and house posts in Sydney he came to London and gained the Fellowship in 1955. On returning to Sydney he specialised in urology, and in addition to his private practice h

David Rees was a consultant urologist and head of surgery at Benenden Hospital, Kent. He was born in 1942, the son of the well-known psychiatrist Linford Rees. He was passionate about rugby and played for his school, for London Welsh Schools, and for Bart's, where he qualified in medicine in 1968. H