Ronald Pitts Crick was a senior ophthalmic surgeon at King's College Hospital, London, and a pioneer in the use of the operating microscope in eye surgery in the UK. He was born in Toronto, Canada, on 5 February 1917. His father, Owen John Pitts Crick, was an engineer and inventor; his mother was Ma

Howard Reed was an ophthalmologist in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was born in London on 28 April 1914, the son of Morris William Reed, a chartered secretary, and Emmeline Louise Reed. He attended West Ham Secondary School and first qualified as an optometrist. He then decided to become a doctor a

Andrew Elkington was a consultant ophthalmologist in Southampton and one of the founders of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He was born on 12 December 1935 in Newport, Shropshire, into a medical family; his ancestors had been doctors since the eighteenth century. His father, George Ernest Elk

Paul Bailliart attended school at Besançon and entered the military medical school at Lyon, and acted as an army surgeon from 1902 to 1907 when he went to Paris and initially worked with Morax. His contributions to ophthalmology were widespread; and he produced three books of great merit: the *Trait

Munawar Ahmad was educated at Punjab University and graduated MB BS in 1961 from King Edward Medical College, Lahore. After house appointments at the Mayo Hospital he took his primary FRCS in Lahore, and went to the USA in 1962 as an intern. Three years later he came to Britain and started his ca

Roy Mapstone was born in Wedmore, Somerset, on 15 May 1934, the son of an agricultural worker, and after early education at Wedmore Primary School and Sexey's Grammar School, Bruton, entered Bristol University, graduating in 1959. After house appointments he undertook National Service in Germany, Ni

Arne Christophe Andreas Hempel worked for many years as an ophthalmologist in clinics at the Westminster Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. Born in Oslo on 6 May 1931, he was one of five children. He spent much of his early life in Dublin, where his father, Eduard Hempel, a career dipl

Ian William Payne was a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth. He was born in Bedford on 15 June 1923, the only child of Benjamin William Payne, an engineer who had served with the Royal Engineers during the First World War, and Ann Payne née Simpson. During his early chi

Born in Dumfriesshire and was educated at Edinburgh, where he first practised. He came to London in the middle years of the century, and practised in Bernard Street, Russell Square, and then in George Street, Hanover Square. His final address, for a long period, was 7 Lower Seymour Street, Portman S

David Ivor Bowen was a consultant ophthalmologist in Harrogate, Yorkshire. He was born on 7 March 1937 and studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He went on to St Thomas’ Hospital for his clinical training. After junior posts, he travelled around the world as a ship’s doctor, before dec

William Smiley was born in 1913 and qualified from St Andrews University in 1937. After service in the RAMC with the rank of major, he worked at the Royal Eye Hospital with Sir Benjamin Ryecroft. He was consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Windsor Group at Taplow, Maidenhead and Wexham Park, Slough.

Frank William Law was born in Isleworth, London, on 14 August 1898, the third son of Thomas Law, a drapery warehouseman, and his wife Emma, née MacRae. He was educated at St Paul's School and St John's College, Cambridge, proceeding to the Middlesex Hospital for his clinical studies where he graduat