He was born in South Australia 26 June 1896 son of William Cairns, a carpenter and builder of Port Pirie near Adelaide, and Amy Florence Bell his wife; both parents survived their son. William Cairns was a collateral relative of the Ulster family, whose most famous member Hugh, 1st Earl Cairns (1819

James Hardman was born and brought up in Birmingham, the son of William Henry Hardman, a chemist, druggist and shopkeeper, and Florence Lilian Hardman. He entered the Birmingham Medical School where he obtained his Primary Fellowship as student prosector in anatomy gaining the Peter Thompson Prize f

Loyal Edward Davis was born on 17 January 1896 in Galesburg, Illinois, the son of Al Davis, a railroad engineer who had worked from the age of seven. It was assumed by all in that small community, except his father, that he would earn his living on the Burlington Railroad. Al, however, frequently ad

Scott Charlton qualified MB, BS Sydney in 1933 and became resident medical officer to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, in 1934. He served in the second world war as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the RAMC and eventually became honorary neurosurgeon to the Sydney Hospital and the Prince Henry Hospi

Joseph Schorstein qualified MD in Vienna in 1931. He then continued his studies at University College Hospital, London. He was chief assistant to the neurosurgical department of the Royal Infirmary, Manchester and then became consultant neurosurgeon to the West Scotland Neurosurgical Unit. When he r

Graeme Patrick Duffy, the son of Patrick Duffy, tram driver, and Madge Duffy, who was a nurse, was born of Irish stock in Wellington, New Zealand, on 12 December 1930. He attended Rongotai College where he was head boy, school boxing champion and in the rugby first fifteen. He secured a scholarship

Andrew Keith Frazer, the son of William Frazer who had both medical and legal qualifications, and of Gladys (née Gubbins), was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire on 27 August 1927. His father was Professor of Public Health at Liverpool University, and Medical Officer of Health to the City and Port of Liver

Walpole Sinclair Lewin was born on August 20, 1915. His father died while he was very young. After a brilliant career at school he entered university as an exhibitioner and qualified from University College Hospital in 1939. After resident appointments at UCH he proceeded to FRCS in 1940 and at the

Harvey Jackson was born on 16 October 1900 and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and qualified with the Conjoint examination in 1923. One of his obituarists states that he had qualified in dental surgery and suppor

Axel Herbert Olivecrona was a Swedish neurosurgeon of international standing who was made an Honorary Fellow at the meeting of the International Federation of Surgical Colleges in Sweden on 4 July 1958. He was Professor at the Royal Karolinska Medico-Surgical Institute in Stockholm and he died in 19

John Michael Woodward qualified in Melbourne in 1963. He passed his Fellowship of the College in 1968 and the following year became senior registrar to the Bristol Regional Neurosurgical Unit until 1971 when he returned to Australia. He was appointed neurosurgeon to the Austin Hospital, Heidelber

James Hamilton was a consultant neurosurgeon at the Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology, Smethwick, and the United Birmingham Hospitals. He studied medicine at Guy's and qualified in 1947. He gained his FRCS in 1954. Prior to his consultant appointments he was a house physician in the n