William Martin Walker was a consultant ophthalmologist in Birmingham. He was born on 31 October 1919. He qualified from St Andrews University in 1943, completed his house jobs in Dundee and then served as a captain in the RAMC in Italy from 1945 to 1947. Before he was demobilised he gained his first

John Douglas Chalmers Anderson, known as ‘Jock’, was an ophthalmologist who spent much of his career working in Afghanistan. He was born in Redbourne, Lincolnshire, on 21 August 1924, the second of three sons of William Larmour Anderson, a general practitioner, and Eileen Pearl née Chambers. He was

Ronald Pitts Crick was a senior ophthalmic surgeon at King's College Hospital, London, and a pioneer in the use of the operating microscope in eye surgery in the UK. He was born in Toronto, Canada, on 5 February 1917. His father, Owen John Pitts Crick, was an engineer and inventor; his mother was Ma

Margaret Challis was a consultant ophthalmologist at Whipps Cross Hospital. Her parents were both doctors – her father, John Humphrey Thornton Challis, was a consultant anaesthetist at the London Hospital and her mother, Margaret Llewelyn Jones, a general practitioner in Woodford, Essex. Margaret wa

John Lee was one of the world's most eminent ophthalmologists. A consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital for 25 years, he was also the eighth president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He was particularly known for his use of 'botox' or botulinum toxin in the management of str

Eric John Arnott was an ophthalmologist and a pioneer of modern cataract surgery. He was born on 12 June 1929 in Sunningdale. His father, Sir Robert John Arnott, was chairman of Arnott Trust, Dublin, and director of *The Irish Times*. His mother was Emita Emelia James. He attended St Peter's Court P

David William Hill was research professor in ophthalmology at the Royal College of Surgeons and a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Hospital, London. He was born on 5 May 1926 in Croydon, Surrey, the son of a bank manager and a housewife. He attended Whitgift School, Croydon, before becoming

Barrie Russell Jones was professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of London. He was born at Silverstream, near Wellington, New Zealand, on 4 January 1921. He obtained a degree in natural sciences from Victoria University, Wellington, before studying medicine at the University of Otago,

David Ivor Bowen was a consultant ophthalmologist in Harrogate, Yorkshire. He was born on 7 March 1937 and studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He went on to St Thomas’ Hospital for his clinical training. After junior posts, he travelled around the world as a ship’s doctor, before dec

Jonathan David Griffiths was an ophthalmologist at the Bath Eye Hospital. He was born on 6 March 1938 in a colliery house in Tonyrefail, Glamorgan, Wales. His father, William Marsden Griffiths, was a mining engineer and colliery manager, as had been his grandfather and great-grandfather before him.

Irene Gregory was a consultant ophthalmologist at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. She was born on 8 October 1922 and studied medicine at Bristol University, qualifying MB ChB in 1944. She was a house surgeon at Bristol Royal Infirmary and Bristol Eye Hospital, and went on to a senior registrar post

Peter Fenton, known to his colleagues as 'PF', was a consultant ophthalmologist in Portsmouth. He was born in Cranleigh, Surrey, the son of Edward Norman Fenton, a wing commander in the RAF, and Joan Wilfrida Fenton née Brown. He was educated at Radley, and then went on to read medicine at St Thomas