Surgeon Rear Admiral John Brian Drinkwater was a naval medical officer of considerable distinction, serving clinically as a highly-respected surgeon before moving into leadership roles. John was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire on 5 June 1931 to Ellis Drinkwater and Hilda May Drinkwater (née Spicer)

Sir Donald Acheson was Chief Medical Officer for England from 1983 to 1991, a period that included the rise of HIV infection and the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis. He was born in Belfast on 17 September 1926, the son of Malcolm King Acheson, a doctor specialising in public health, an

Derek Bown trained for the Conjoint Diploma at Guy's Hospital and became a Fellow of the College in 1930. He held posts at the Taunton and Somerset Hospital and the Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital and was medical officer for Reckitt's Convalescent Home in Essex. He became honorary surg

Born on 8 February 1891 in the Military Cantonments at Bangalore, Dick Rishworth was the son of an officer in the British Army in India: his mother was the daughter of a major in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps and his great grandfather was an Assistant Surgeon of the East India Company. After educat

Michael Dixon was born in Esher on 14 August 1922. During the second world war he studied medicine at London University and trained at St Mary’s Hospital, passing his MB,BS in 1944. He did house jobs at St Mary’s and at the Central Middlesex Hospital before becoming surgeon in charge of the Varicose

Edwin Haigh was born on 25 April 1919, the son of William Duthie Haigh who was a scientist for the British Scientific Research Association, and his wife, Annie Margaret Rhynhart. He went to the City of London School, then to King's College, obtaining a Warneford scholarship. He served with the North

Robert Oliver Wheeler studied medicine at King's College, London and qualified MB BS in 1941. He passed the Conjoint Diploma in 1940 and the FRCS ten years later. He was surgical registrar to St Stephen's Hospital, London, and to Horton Hospital, Epsom, before becoming medical officer to Savernake H

Basil Tracey was born on 19 October 1899 at Willand, Devon, where his father, Henry Eugene Tracey, was a general practitioner, four of whose eleven children were qualified medical practitioners. His mother was Emily Alice, née Martin. He was educated at Monkton Combe School and St Bartholomew's Hosp

Margery Scott-Young was a consultant surgeon at the Rachel Forster Hospital, Sydney. She was born on 25 May 1912 in North Sydney, the daughter of Reginald Charles Scott-Young, a sales manager, and Mary née Crotty. She was educated at the Monte Sant' Angelo College in Sydney and the University of Syd

Carmen Russell Salsbury was born on 21 July, 1898, in the County of Lennox and Addington, Ontario, Canada. He was the youngest child of the two daughters and three sons of John Albert Salsbury, a farmer. He was educated in a one room country schoolhouse for four years and then graduated with honours

William Harry Jayne Weston was born in Liverpool on 28 November 1903 and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby. After graduating in science in 1925 he spent nearly eight years as a schoolmaster at Pangbourne and Windsor. At the age of 30 he took up medicine and qualified at St George's Hospit

Alison George Selborne Bailey, known as 'Joe', was larger than life. He was born on 19 July 1915, the son of George Frederick Selborne Bailey, a general practitioner and Mabel Yardley Guard, a midwife. He was educated at Radley, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he spent much of his t