William O'Flynn was born in County Limerick on 12 April 1927, into a family with a long tradition in medicine as general practitioners. Unfortunately no details of his forbears are available. After education at Presentation College, Bray, County Wicklow he entered the National University of Ireland

Michael Reilly was born in Sheringham, Norfolk, on 30 August 1913, several weeks post-mature. This procrastination was to be a feature of his life. There was a suggestion that he should be christened 'Fabius', after the great Roman general Fabius Maximus Cunctator, but he was saddled with the family

William Tudor Davies was a general and vascular consultant surgeon in Cardiff. He was born on 17 July 1940. Qualifying MB, ChB in 1963, he did house jobs at the Middlesex Hospital in London and the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. In 1967 he passed the fellowship of the college. He spent tim

Gordon Heard was a consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales and a former president of the Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He was born on 23 February 1926 in Rhiwbina, Cardiff the second son of Albert Heard, a geologist at Cardiff University; his brother, Brian,

Justin Kelly established vascular surgery in Lancaster and south Cumbria; the unit later developed to include Preston and Blackpool. He was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire on 7 February 1938, the son of Bernard Kelly, who worked for the company Lamson Paragon, and Katherine Kelly née Hodgson, a

Roger Hughes Johnson was a consultant general surgeon at Whiston and St Helens hospitals, Merseyside. He was born in Southend-on-Sea on 24 July 1939. His father, William Joseph ('Bill') Johnson, was a firefighter and his mother, Irene Johnson (neé Hughes), taught home economics. His grandfather was

Firoz Dara Mistry was a general and vascular surgeon in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He was born in Bombay, India on 29 October 1938, the son of Tehmi and Dara Mistry and studied medicine at the G S Medical College in Bombay. He gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in

Selim Mellick, universally known as Sam, was a legendary surgeon. He was born in Innisfail in north Queensland and was Dux of both his local primary school and his high school the All Souls School in Charters Towers. He graduated from the University of Queensland with first class honours in medic

Jeff Dolphin was a senior consultant surgeon in Walsall. He was born on 11 October 1929 in Aldridge in the West Midlands, the son of Raymond Dolphin and Joyce Dolphin née Phipps. He grew up in Harborne, Birmingham and was educated at King Edward VI Five Ways School and King Edward’s School, Edgbasto

David Pratt was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds. He studied medicine in Leeds, where he had a distinguished undergraduate career, gaining first class honours and graduating with distinctions in surgery and forensic medicine. After house appointments

Ian Massey was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at the Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, Lincolnshire. Born in Birmingham on 31 May 1939, Ian was the son of Charles William Massey, a master baker and managing director of a large bakery in Lancashire, and Ellen née Astley. He had one brother, Alasta

Jenny Ackroyd was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. She was born in Leeds on 23 May 1950, the fourth child of Peter Ackroyd and Evelyn née Nutt. Her father, an academic theologian, was subsequently a professor at King's College, London, and was known a