John Currie was head of the neurosurgical department at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He was born on 1 July 1926 in Darlington, County Durham. His father was a practising physician in Darlington who had trained at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London and served as a doctor in the First World War

Thomas Morley was chairman of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was born on 13 June 1920 in Manchester, England, to John Morley, professor of surgery at the University of Manchester, and Molly Ogilvie Morley née Simon. At the age of seven, Morley was sent to boarding school in Ox

Andrew Tallala, a neurosurgeon, was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 29 November 1924. His father, Hewage Benjamin Tallala, was an industrialist who married Lily Olga Fernando. There were two older brothers, both of whom served in the RAF in the second world war, the elder being killed flying a Ty

Alastair Robson - the pioneer neurosurgeon in Canberra - was born in Sydney in 1926 and went to Shore School in north Sydney where his father was Headmaster. He rowed in the Shore VIII, and after leaving school he coached the senior crew. It was at Shore that he met his future wife, Anne who became

Benjamin Henry Dawson, after education at Middleton Grammar School, worked for a short time in industry while pursuing further education at Salford Technical College. After securing a scholarship to Manchester University Medical School, he duly graduated and became house surgeon to Sir Geoffrey Jeff

Joseph Buford Pennybacker was born in Somerset, Kentucky, on 23 August 1907, the only son of Claude Pennybacker, a train dispatcher. His early education was at Knoxville High School, Tennessee, before entering the University of Tennessee, graduating BA in 1926 (summa cum laude). He followed the earl

Bennett was educated at Cambridge University and University College Hospital. After qualification and a house post at University College Hospital he was a medical officer (research) at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. Later he was surgical registrar at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseas

Joseph Block ('Joe') was born on 12 August 1921 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa. Both his parents had emigrated from Switzerland and were graduates of Zurich University; his father became a lawyer and his mother a professor of languages. He was educated at President Brand School, Gr

John Simon Lekias was born at Northam, Western Australia, on 15 March 1921. His father Sios Lekias, a businessman, had emigrated to Australia from the island of Kastellorizo, near Rhodes. His mother, Despina Marcou, was a refugee of the Russian revolution who came from the Greek colony in Odessa and

John Fraser Shaw was a neurosurgeon who trained under, and then assisted, Norman Dott with his pioneering work. He was, in his own words, 'fortunate' to arrive at this position - 'lucky' to serve under Dott at the neurosurgical department of the Edinburgh Western General. John was born in Calcutta i

Bernard Williams was born on 20 April 1932 in Stockport, Cheshire, the son of Francis Bernard Williams, a shoe retailer, and Hope Johnson, the daughter of the sea captain and author Walter Rise Hawkins Johnson. He was educated at Stretford Grammar School and the University of Birmingham, where he qu

Lawrence Sutcliffe Walsh was born on 7 January 1916 in East London, South Africa, the son of Richard Chadwick Walsh, an engineer, and his wife Maria, née Schofield. He was educated at Selbourne College. In order to study medicine it was first necessary for him to qualify in pharmacy. Later he obtain