Frank Ashton was a consultant vascular surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He was born in Birmingham on 26 April 1925. His mother died when he was two, and he moved to Manchester to live with relatives. He returned to Birmingham at the age of 11, when his father remarried, and atten

Sydney Rose was a vascular surgeon at Withington and Wythenshawe hospitals, Manchester. He was born in Manchester, the son of Hyman Leonard Rose, a merchant, and Rebecca Rose née Tofield, and gained a scholarship to Manchester Grammar School. He qualified from Manchester University Medical School in

Geoffrey Gilling-Smith was a consultant vascular surgeon at Royal Liverpool Hospital. He was born on 15 November 1955 at St George's Hospital, London, the son of Dryden Gilling-Smith, a businessman. His mother, who was head of the physics and chemistry department at the French Lycée in South Kensing

Koon-Sung (‘KS’) Cheng was a vascular surgical registrar at the Royal Free Hospital, London. He was born in Hong Kong, but came to England with his family in 1977. When he arrived he spoke very little English, but made rapid progress at Uckfield Comprehensive School. He went on to study medicine at

John Drew Hamer was a vascular surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on 2 November 1936. His father, John Llewellyn Hamer, was a headmaster, while his mother, Mabel Irene née Hawkins, was a nurse. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Nuneato

Martin Birnstingl was a consultant vascular surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, and was widely respected for his expertise and for his clear and concise teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students. He was also a consultant surgeon to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and serv

Geoffrey Evans was an associate professor of surgery at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was born on 25 January 1935 in Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, Wales, the son of William Garfield Evans, a schoolmaster, and Hannah Evans née James. He attended Mountain Ash Grammar School and then st

Daniel de Gourêt Villet was a surgeon in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He was born in South Africa, the son of Daniel du Plessis Villet, a chartered accountant, and Agnes Cecilia Villet née Huxham, a secretary. The Villet family was descended from a Frenchman, Charles Matharin Villet, a naturalist a

André Nevelsteen was head of vascular surgery at the University Hospital of Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. He was born in Geel on 8 August 1951. He studied medicine at the Catholic University of Leuven, graduating in 1975. He went on to train in general surgery and then specialised in vascular surg

Evi Kalodiki was born on 1 October 1956 in Larnaca, Cyprus. The daughter of two eminent lawyers, she was educated at Larnaca High School where, among things, she excelled at disc throwing. Proceeding to the University of Athens she studied English literature for four years, gaining an MA before turn

Barry King graduated MB BS from Melbourne University in 1958. After initial postgraduate training at Prince Henry's Hospital and the Repatriation Gen Hospital he went to England in 1966 and gained his FRCS. From 1966 until 1968 he worked with Peter Martin, first at Chelmsford and then at the Hammers

Wyn Morris-Jones was a consultant vascular surgeon in Sheffield. He was a real 'gentleman surgeon' and throughout his career showed compassion, dedication and care for his patients. He will always be remembered for the way in which his patient's welfare always came first, and his oft-repeated phrase