John Atwell was a paediatric surgeon in Southampton and a distinguished paediatric urologist. He was born on 17 May 1929 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. His father, Percival John Cyril Atwell, was a manager with Shell Oil; his mother was Doris May Atwell née Gardner. When he was five, the family returned t

David Stuart Gibson was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Hobart, Tasmania. Born in Hobart on 23 May 1925, he was the second child and only son of Stuart Galloway Gibson, a medical practitioner, and his wife, Leonora née Whitham who was a pianist and music teacher. His paternal grandfather, George Harry G

Stephen Higgs Richards was an ENT surgeon in Cardiff. He was born on 8 April 1928 in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, the fifth son of Sylfanus Higgs, a farmer, and Gwladys Jane née Brown. He went to Machynlleth County School and then to Guy’s Hospital, where he qualified in1951. After house jobs at G

Parry was born in Liverpool in 1915 and practised as a chartered masseur from 1933 to 1938 before studying medicine at University College Hospital, where he qualified in 1944. He subsequently held various posts at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and continued to attend weekly clinics there until his r

Joe Siegenberg was a surgeon in British Columbia, Canada. He was born on 3 January 1927 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the son of Lewis (Lou) Siegenberg and Sarah Siegenberg née Bernstein. He was a self-starter, an individual who, even though he came from a challenging, difficult background, managed

Eileen Busby was an associate specialist at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. Born in Clapton, London, on 5 December 1930, she was the daughter of William Francis Busby, a house painter and decorator, and Rose Harriet née Stephenson, a dressmaker. Eileen was educated at various schools during the

William (Bill) Spencer Lund was a consultant ENT surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. He was born on 19 July 1926 to non-medical parents, Reginald James Spencer Lund and Beatrice Alice Lund née Cudemore. He thought he might join the Navy and was accordingly educated at Pangbourne College. Bef

Victor Anomah Ngu was head of surgery at the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon, a minister of public health and a founder of the West African College of Surgeons. He was born in Molyko, Buea, Cameroon on 1 February 1926. His father, Nazarius Ngu, was a catechist; his mother Monica Ngu née Siri was the

Mark Xavier Shanahan was one of the distinguished surgeons who pioneered the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney from the mid 1950's. He was selected to join Harry Windsor on the Hospital staff in 1963, and together with Harry, perceived the talents of Victor Chang as a R

Kate Goddard was a consultant ophthalmologist at Hull Royal Infirmary and one of a generation who, by their persistence and determination, helped change the way we perceive women in the professions. She was born in Sheffield on 12 July 1931, the daughter of Henri Arnold Joel Merrill and Una Adelaide

Leslie Hughes was professor of surgery at the University of Wales College of Medicine. He was born in Parramatta in New South Wales, Australia, on 12 August 1932, the fifth of eight children of Charles Joseph Hughes and Vera Dorothy Hughes née Raines. His father was a tailor and his mother had been

John was born in Palmerston North to Charles and Lillian Coutts, dairy farmers. One of two children, he was schooled locally, at Whakarongo Country School. He had an early exposure to social justice when on his first day at school his brand-new slate was annexed by his teacher and allocated to anoth