Colin Skelton was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 31 March 1935 and educated at Christchurch West High School and Otago Medical School. After house appointments at Christchurch Hospital and Grey Hospital, Greymouth, he became surgical registrar at Christchurch Hospital and then came to England

Brian Harcourt was born on 3 March 1934, the son of John Ellison Harcourt, a scientific instrument manufacturer in Liverpool and Bertha Florence Kneen. His grandfather, Richard Eugene Harcourt FRCS (1858-1921), was an ophthalmic surgeon, also in Liverpool. Harcourt was educated at Quarry Bank High S

Clive Stephenson was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 12 November 1933 and was educated at Scots College. He studied medicine at Wellington, where he qualified in 1957, held house posts and was a surgical registrar. After a year demonstrating anatomy in Otago, he went to London in 1962 to speci

Arthur Thomas, born 12 April 1936 in Durham, was the second child of Professor David Winton Thomas, Regius Professor of Hebrew, Cambridge University, and Edith (Higgins) and, as might be expected, was educated at Cambridge, beginning in the King's College Choir School, then The Leys School and final

Simon Wapnick was an anatomist based in New York. He was born on 25 October 1937 in Pretoria, South Africa, the son of Percy Jacob Wapnick and Fanny née Levitt. He was educated at Pretoria Boys’ High School and then went on to the University of Pretoria Medical School. He held house appointments at

Born at Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, on 6 December 1926, the son of Leslie William Jones MRCS, a general practitioner, and Prudence Mary, née Snelling, he was of the fourth generation in his family to become a doctor. He was educated at the Llanfairpwll Elementary School, Hillgrove School, Bangor, Epsom

Richard William Porter was a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon in Aberdeen. He was born on 16 February 1935 in Doncaster, the son of J Luther Porter, a china merchant and Methodist minister, and Mary Field. He was educated at Oundle and Edinburgh University, and completed his surgical training at Ed

Peter Wilson was a consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. He was born in Deptford, London, on 16 October 1932, the son of Joseph Henry Wilson, a housing administrative officer for Bermondsey Borough Council, and Sarah Heaton, a teacher of physical training w

Sir Robert Shields enjoyed a distinguished career in surgery and in academic and health service administration. He was professor of surgery and chairman of the department of surgery and honorary consultant to the Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen hospitals from 1969 to 1996. His unit was int

Peter MacFaul was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in London. He was born on 17 April 1935 in Leigh, Lancashire, to Alexander MacFaul, a general practitioner, and Constance, a pharmacist. He had two elder siblings. The children initially had a governess for tuition at home, but then in September 1940

Philip Stell had an outstanding career as a reconstructive surgeon, dealing with head and neck cancers, and went on to a successful second career in mediaeval history. He was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, on 14 August 1934, the son of Frank Law Stell, a tailor’s manager, and Ada née Davies. He was ed

David Ritchie was born on 24 September 1920 in Falkirk, one of the four children of George Ritchie, a licensed grocer. At first he seemed destined for the Presbyterian ministry, and graduated MA with honours in theology and classics from Glasgow, but then changed his vocation and read medicine at Ma