Murray Pheils was professor of surgery at the University of Sydney. He was born in Birmingham on 2 December 1917, the younger of the two sons of Elmer Theodore Pheils, an osteopath, and Lilian Mary née Cole. His father Elmer was a colourful character: he was born in Toledo, Ohio, and trained as an o

Paul Large was a general surgeon in Durban, South Africa, and then in Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Beira, Mozambique, on 12 August 1920, but was brought up in Durban. He was educated at Michaelhouse, a rural boarding school in Natal, and then, in 1938, went to the UK to study medicine at Guy

John Neophyton was not only a lifelong family friend but he was my mentor. 'Dr John Neo', as he was affectionately called, was a university colleague and one of the best and closest friends of my father Andrew, so I have known John and his family all my life. My earliest memory was when I was a you

Claude Organ was a distinguished American surgeon and the second African-American President of the American College of Surgeons. He was born in 1927 in Marshall, Texas, and educated at Terrell High School, Denison, and then Xavier University, Louisiana. Denied acceptance to the University of Texas o

James Crowe Davidson Mill was a surgeon in Elizabeth, South Australia. He was born in Croydon, the son of James Mill and Rita Crowe. The family eventually emigrated to Australia, and Mill finished his education at St Peter's College, Adelaide. He started studying medicine at the University of Adelai

James Leslie Diggle passed his MB BS in Melbourne in 1917 and his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1926. He served with the Australian Artillery and the 15 Field Ambulance in the first world war. He died on 8 February 1982.

Born in 1902 at New Plymouth, New Zealand, he was educated at Auckland Grammar School and Otago University, Dunedin, graduating in 1924. After holding resident posts at Auckland Hospital in 1925-26, he spent 1927 as a Government medical officer in Levuka, one of the Fiji Islands. He came to England

Eric Langley was born in Melbourne in 1910, his father having been a member of the staff of the Alfred Hospital. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School, and graduated in medicine at Melbourne University in 1933, having had a good academic record and done well in athletics. He then held a junior

Born on 4 April 1891 at Singleton, New South Wales the son of Arthur S. Buchanan of Eastwood NSW, he was educated at Sydney High School and University, qualifying just before war broke out in 1914. He served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps throughout the war, at first on active service wi

David Skeffington Johnson's forebears were notably medical. His father Alex Johnson was a well-known surgeon on the staff of Prince Alfred Hospital. St Ignatius College, Riverview was the school where he was dux; excelling in Latin and Greek. As well he was runner-up in the Cooper Scholarship Exa

Anthony Oliver Robertson was a consultant general surgeon based in Tamworth, New South Wales.

Patrick Francis O’Dwyer was a surgeon in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was born on 9 December 1926 in Toowoomba, Queensland, the son of Edward and Catherine O’Dwyer, and was brought up in humble circumstances in Harristown on the outskirts of Toowoomba. O’Dwyer was educated at Newtown State Sc