Nicholas Talbot Hamilton was a consultant surgeon at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Melbourne on 7 February 1924, the son of Henry Talbot Hamilton, a general practitioner, and Elsie Maud Hamilton née Gibson, a nursing sister. He attended Melbourne Grammar School, where he

Charles Marks was professor of surgery at Louisiana State University, New Orleans. He was born in Kremenchug, Ukraine, the son of Abe Marks, a businessman, and Sonia Marks née Beck, a housewife. He migrated to South Africa, where he matriculated from Wynberg Boys’ High School in Cape Town in Decembe

Yahya Cohen was senior surgeon at the Singapore General Hospital and a former president of the Singapore Medical Council. Born in Singapore on 1 April 1920, he was the son of Menahem Cohen, a Yemeni merchant and Mozelle née Ezra who was from Iraq. The eldest of their three children, he was the only

Peter Dudley Blaxland was a general surgeon in Sydney, Australia and a distinguished sportsman. He was born in Broke, a small village in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales on 15 December 1920, the son of Arthur Dudley Blaxland, a grazier, and Beryl Blaxland née Moses. He was a direct descendent of J

Tom Nash was a seventh generation Australian of Irish extraction, born on the family property at Yass, NSW. He was educated at Christian Brothers Goulburn (Dux 1942) and Sydney University (1943-8, MB BS Hons 1). At St Johns College, University of Sydney, he excelled at rugby, cricket, swimming, divi

Kenneth Fowler Wood, or 'Ken' to his colleagues and friends, was a general surgeon in Leicester. He was born in Manchester on 6 July 1923. There was no history of medicine in the family and his father, Maurice Herbert Wood, worked in Customs and Excise. His mother was Nellie Asquith Wood née Fowler.

Robert Lewis Grynoch was born on 20 October, 1912 in France, the son of Baruch Grynoch, an engineer and industrialist. He was educated in Paris and Strasbourg. He qualified MD Strasbourg in 1939 and obtained the Conjoint Diploma in 1948 followed by the FRCS in 1952. He held resident posts in Reims,

Hari Ker was born at Stafford on 4 November 1924 and received his medical education at King's College, London, and Charing Cross Hospital, where he qualified MRCS, LRCP and MB, BS London in 1948. He was awarded the Pickering Prize at King's College and the public health prize at Charing Cross Hospit

Donald Griffiths was a consultant general surgeon in Aberystwyth. He was born in Colwyn Bay on 12 March 1921, the son of Thomas Owen Griffiths, a science master, and Alice Adelaide, the daughter of a tailor. He was educated at Penmaenrhoe Council School and Colwyn Bay County School, and was Denbighs

Peter Bevan was professor of surgery at Birmingham and a former vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was born in Birmingham on 13 December 1922, of Welsh and Yorkshire roots, the elder son of Thomas John Bevan, a Congregational minister who served as a chaplain at Gallipoli

Henry Le Brun was a general surgeon at Lewisham Hospital. He was born on 28 January 1918 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in the heart of the mining country, where his father was a mining engineer. His second name 'Ieuan' (Welsh for 'John') and the fact that his mother's maiden name was Thomas reveals his

Graham Schofield was a consultant general surgeon in Lanarkshire. He was born on 23 December 1923 in Wandsworth, London, and was educated at Highfield Preparatory and Emmanuel School, before going to University College London to study medicine. He graduated at the age of 21 and was appointed as a ho