Adam Golebiowski was born in March 1914 to a Polish family which had been associated with the struggle for independence since Napoleonic times. He studied medicine at Lwow in the 1930s. He was mobilised at the outbreak of the second world war and taken prisoner by the Russians, undergoing very harsh conditions until he was released to join the Polish Free Forces in 1942. He served in Italy as a medical officer and was awarded the Virtuti Militari, the equivalent of our VC for his gallantry at the battle of Monte Cassino. He was at that time a Lieutenant commanding the II Medical Platoon, 5th Medical Company, part of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division, which was part of the 2 Polish Corps. The citation states that "He showed outstanding bravery and by his manner saved many lives and was a shining example to his subordinates." He arrived in England via France in 1946 and started surgical training under the aegis of Sir Thomas Holmes Sellors, becoming RSO at the London Chest Hospital. In 1951 he was appointed RSO and deputy superintendent at Preston Hall Hospital, a sanatorium in Maidstone, where he worked under the supervision of visiting consultants who rapidly recognised his surgical skills. Gradually, he took over most of the surgical work, was promoted to consultant status and became superintendent. He was awarded the FRCS *ad eundem*. Adam was a respected member of the Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. Jo, his wife of 22 years, predeceased him. There were no children. He died on 15 November 1998, following a stroke.