Douglas Freebody was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Kingston Hospital. He was born in Woolwich, London, on 19 April 1911, the son of a successful tailor, and attended the City of London School, before entering Guy’s Hospital Medical School, which he represented at hockey and boxing. After quali

John Buck was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the Woolwich and Greenwich area. He was born in Hove, Sussex, on 30 October 1915, the son of Arthur Herbert Buck, a general surgeon, and Lilian Maude Bligh, a theatre sister who was a direct descendant of the captain of the Bounty. John was brought u

Robert Duthie was Nuffield professor of orthopaedic surgery at Oxford University. He was born in Detroit, USA, on 4 May 1925, the second son of James Andrew Duthie, an engineer with the Ford Motor Company, and Elizabeth Jean née Hunter. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and King Edward VI G

Robert Roaf was a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon and one of the few remaining pre-war Himalayan climbers. He was born into a Canadian academic family in Golders Green, London, on 25 April 1913, the second son of Herbert Eldon Roaf, professor of physiology at Liverpool, and Beatrice Sophia, the da

Donal Brooks was an eminent orthopaedic surgeon in London who specialised in hand surgery. He was born in Dublin on 10 April 1917, the third son of Edward Clive Brooks, the chairman and managing director of Brooks Thomas and governor of the Royal Bank of Dublin, and Kathleen née Pollock, the daughte

K T Dholakia was the doyen of orthopaedic surgery in India. He was the senior orthopaedic surgeon at Breach Candy and P D Hinduja hospitals in Bombay, where he pioneered joint replacement and the fixation of fractures. In 2003 he won the 20th Rameshwardas Birla National Award for being the “outsta

Hugh Stevens was an orthopaedic surgeon in New Zealand. He was born in Invercargill, on the South Island, where his father was a schoolmaster. The family eventually moved to Oxford, in North Canterbury, where Stevens was educated. He also went to school at Sumner and attended Christchurch Boys’ High

Basil Helal was an orthopaedic surgeon at Enfield, as well as at the London and Royal National Orthopaedic hospitals. He was born in Cairo on 28 October 1927, the son of Ibrahim Helal, director general of the state railways, and Helena née Sommerville. He was educated at the English School in Cairo,

George Welch was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. He was born in Edinburgh on 5 August 1935, the son of George Welch, an actuary, and Unie Macpherson. The family, including his brother David (who became a GP in Norwich), moved to Surrey early in George’s life. His ch

Alf Nachemson was one of the giants of his generation in the now recognised and developing specialty of orthopaedic spinal surgery. He spent a year or more in the USA, involved in editorial work and research, particularly at Boston, and remained a popular figure at American spinal conferences, where

Bill Maguire was an orthopaedic surgeon in Brisbane, Australia. He was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, on 6 March 1925, the second son of John Francis Maguire, a schoolmaster, and his wife, Margaret née Jones. His father had lost his leg in France during the First World War and Bill later based

Geoffrey Fisk was a senior orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. He was born in Goodmayes, Essex, on 26 May 1916. His father, Harry Marcus Fisk, company director of Meredith and Drew, the biscuit manufacturers, was a descendent of an ancient Suffolk family. One of his ancestors