David Eric Sturdy was a consultant surgeon at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Wales. He was born in Llanybydder, West Wales on 4 May 1928, the only son of William Frederick Sturdy, a boot and shoe repairer, and Anne Mary Sturdy née Davies, the daughter of a carpenter. There were no medical connec

Bruce Geaney was a respected orthopaedic surgeon in Toowoomba, Australia. He was born in Brisbane on 1 November 1926 and educated at Slade Anglican Church Grammar School in Warwick. He went on to study medicine at Queensland University, graduating in 1949. He was a keen sportsman, swimming for the u

John Pritchard Williams was a consultant urological surgeon to St Peter’s Hospital, Greenwich District Hospital and King Edward VII’s Hospital for Officers in London. He was also an honorary consultant urologist to the Army. ‘JP’, as he was always known to friends and colleagues, was born on St V

Edward Abson was a major player in the movement to improve casualty services by the creation of specialist consultant posts. He became one of the first 30 such specialist consultants, being appointed to Kent and Canterbury Hospital, and was later the third president of the Casualty Surgeons' Associa

Geoffrey Lumb was a consultant urologist in Taunton, Somerset. He was born in Crewkerne, Somerset, on 1 January 1925, the son of Norman Lumb, a urologist in Portsmouth. He was educated at Marlborough and St Thomas's Hospital. After junior posts he did his National Service in the RAFVR, reaching the

Robert Qualye Crellin, or 'Robin' was a consultant surgeon at King's College Hospital. He was born on 31 May 1927, on the Isle of Man, the son of John Frissel Crellin, a company director, and Eileen Flood Jackson. He went to King William's College on the Isle of Man, and then to St Mary's Hospital M

Keith Ewen was born in Lower Hutt, the son of David Ewen and Marian Nathan. His father was managing-director of Sargood Son & Ewen, a prominent family business, Mayor of Lower Hutt and subsequently knighted for his many community and business contributions. There were two older siblings – brother, I

Air commodore Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Brown was a consultant in burns and plastic surgery in the RAF. He was born in London on 11 September 1925. His father, Oscar Frank Brown, was director of telecommunications research during the Second World War and prominent in the development of radar. His mother, Dori

John Blandy was professor of urology at the Royal London Hospital and the Institute of Urology. He was a product of the old Empire, from which he inherited many wonderful characteristics and none of the bad ones. His father was Sir E Nicholas Blandy. At the time of John's birth in the Edith Cavell n

Derek Berg was born in 1926 in Hong Kong, where his father was a shipping broker and Norwegian Consul-General. His Australian mother Constance died of cerebral malaria just before his third birthday, and Derek was sent to live with his aunt in Adelaide. His father remarried and he returned to Hong K

Ian McMillan was born on 14 June 1922 in Birmingham, the second son of Kenneth Holl MacMillan, (Lives 1974-82) consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, and Elizabeth (née Smyth). His uncle was a chest physician, his wife a physiotherapist and her parents general practitioners. He was educated at t

Jim Mousley was born in Tipton, Staffordshire, on 28 October 1928, the only son of James William Mousley, a businessman, and Gertrude Elizabeth, née Myatt. He was educated at Colston's School, Bristol, and University College School, London, after which he entered St Mary's Hospital Medical School, q