John Dermot Ainslie Common was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary. He studied medicine at Westminster Hospital, where he qualified in 1971. Following his house appointment at the King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, he went to Sierra Leone, where he worked on and wr

Douglas Arthur Langley was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Royal Northern and Whittington hospitals in London. He was born on 18 April 1917 at Woolwich, London, to Arthur Langley, an Army officer, and Laura Elizabeth née Webber. He was educated at Cottingham College, Plumstead, and Woolwich C

Desmond Peel Greaves was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at University College and Moorfields Eye hospitals in London. He was born on 14 December 1920 in the West Riding of Yorkshire to Bernard Peel, an optician, and Beatrice Peel. He was educated at High Storrs Grammar School, Sheffield, and then w

John Winstanley was an ophthalmic surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He was born in London on 11 May 1919, the son of Bernard Joseph Winstanley, a captain in the Burma Sappers and Miners, and Grace née Taunton, the daughter of a solicitor. The younger of three sons, he was educated at Stoke Hou

The eldest son of William Dalrymple, of Norwich, and Marianne Bertram, his wife. John was one of six sons, and two of his brothers, Archibald Dalrymple (qv) and Donald Dalrymple (qv) became Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons. He studied under his father and at Edinburgh. He made a special stud

Born 4 December 1867, fourth of seven sons of George Lawson, FRCS, and Mary, his wife, daughter of William Thomson, MD, surgeon in the Indian Medical Service (Crawford's *Roll of the IMS*, Bengal list, No 965). George Lawson had been invalided home from the Crimea, and later became surgeon to the Mi

Geoffrey Gibson Bisley was an ophthalmic surgeon who spent much of his career overseas. He was born on 23 May 1915 at Hove, Sussex, the second child of Claude and Ida Gibson. His father was an auctioneer and surveyor in the family business. His maternal grandfather and uncle were both qualified phar

Walter Bain was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor. He was born in Ayr and educated at Loretto, Jesus College, Cambridge and Guy's Hospital. He qualified in medicine in 1942 and, joining the navy as a surgeon lieutenant, saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East.

Charles Neville Banks was an ophthalmic surgeon in Sydney, Australia. He was born in Finchley, London, on 28 September 1938, one of two sons. His father was Arthur Leslie Banks, a professor at Cambridge University. His mother, Eileen Mary Barrett, was a housewife. He attended St Faith's School, Camb

Howard Fyfe Harper was a pioneering ophthalmic surgeon who worked in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. He was born in Te Kuiti, New Zealand, the son of William Stanley Blyth Harper, a chemist, and Esther Harper née Fortune, a schoolteacher. He was educated at Auckland Grammar School, but left early to

Studied at King's College Hospital and in Paris. He was House Surgeon at King's College Hospital, then at the Royal Ophthalmic Hospital. He later practised at Newbury, where he was Surgeon to the Speen Cottage Hospital, Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Newbury Dispensary, and Coroner for the Borough. Short

Michael John Absolon was an ophthalmic surgeon in Southampton and Winchester. He was born in Cheltenham in 1933 and studied natural sciences at St John's College, Cambridge, and then went on to complete his clinical studies at the London Hospital Medical School. While at Cambridge he represented the