Charles Henry de Boer was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Liverpool. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, on 2 September 1921, where his father was chief colonial medical officer. He was sent to England for his schooling, and was cared for by his great aunt, Alice de Boer, a doctor. He g

John Tomkinson was born in Stafford on 8 December 1916, the son of Harry Stanley Tomkinson, a company director, and his wife Kate Mills, née Cliff. He was educated at Rydal School and the University of Birmingham, where he qualified in 1941 with medals in surgery and ophthalmology. He joined the nav

John Felix Bolton Carter was born in Leicester and spent his definitive surgical career in the city. His father had also been a consultant surgeon to the Leicester Royal Infirmary. He went to Rugby School before his pre-clinical training at Cambridge, proceeding to University College Hospital, and q

Neville Connolly was a paediatric surgeon in Washington DC. His father, William Frederick Connolly, left Dublin at the age of 16 to make his way in London. He did two jobs to support himself while obtaining a law degree, then joined the Civil Service, working for the Inland Revenue. After the First

Mike Butler helped establish and develop general surgical services in the Isle of Thanet, Margate and Ramsgate, Kent. He was born on 21 January 1924 in London, the third child and first son of Frank Butler and Ailsa Butler née Beckwith. His father served in the First World War and was a dentist, ori

Born in Penarth, South Wales, on 22 December 1915, John Peter Jackson's father was Spencer Jackson, a general practitioner, who died when he was only 12. His mother was Winifred Latta Tolson. He was educated at Epsom College and St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified in 1940 and, after spending si

Harold Hassall was a consultant surgeon to the South Cheshire Group of Hospitals and the driving force behind the new Leighton Hospital. He was born in Radcliffe, Bury, Greater Manchester, on 3 February 1916, the son of Harold Hassall, a clockmaker, and Mary Hannah Hassall, a schoolteacher. He was e

Derek Farrar was one of the few who brought ENT surgery to Tasmania. He was born in Southsea, England, on 27 December 1921, the son of a naval officer. He was educated in Hong Kong and Plymouth, before going to St Bartholomew’s Hospital to study medicine. After graduating, he did six months as an

Bernard Hand was born on 21 November 1919. His father, Ernest Francis Hand, was an architect and his mother, Mary, née Searle, was the daughter of an engineer. He was descended from Sir William Hillary, founder of the lifeboat service; as a consequence he gave constant support to the RNLI throughout

James Hudson was an ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields in London. He was born on 15 February 1916 in New Britain, Connecticut, USA. His father, William Shand, was a mechanical engineer and farmer. His mother was Ethel Summerskill. He was educated in Massachusetts, at Winchester County Day School and t

Frederick Samuel Gorrill was born on 30 July 1913 at Okehampton, Devon, the son of a village constable. He was educated at Torquay Grammar School and King's College, London, where he obtained an honours BSc in chemistry in 1934. He became involved in research in biochemistry, and was later appointed

Anthony (Tony) Dingley was born on 22 March 1922 at Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, the son of Eric Gordon Dingley, FRCS Edinburgh, senior surgeon at Warneford Hospital, Leamington Spa, and Marion (Moll) Bradshaw, a nursing sister in QARANC, who served in Iraq. His uncle, Allen Roy Dingley, was a co