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.

John Ayoub was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the London Hospital, a former Vice-President of the Faculty of Ophthalmologists and a College Council member. He was born on 7 September 1908 in South Kensington, the son of Moussa Ayoub, the celebrated portrait painter, who painted the Council in 19

Ron Lowe was consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. He was born in Melbourne on 14 November 1913, the third son of William E Lowe, a contractor, and Isabella née Hinde. He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, and qualified as a pharmacist at the University o

Peter Choyce was a leading ophthalmic surgeon who championed and developed artificial lens implants. He was born on 1 March 1919 in London. His father, Charles Coley Choyce, was professor of surgery at University College Hospital, and a member of Council at the time of his death in 1937. His mother

John Cogan did his medical training in Manchester and then specialised in ophthalmology, doing his training in the United Liverpool Hospitals and the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Stoke on Trent. He was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Chester Royal Infirmary and the Wrexham Hospital Group,

Abraham Werb was a surgeon in the corneo-plastic unit, Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. He was born on 1 April 1919 in Lithuania, the son of Maurice Werb and Pia Werb née Frumer. His family was Jewish, and he spent much of his childhood trying to avoid being harassed by the anti-Semitic loca

John Richard Havers-Strong, generally known as Richard Strong, was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Conquest Hospital, St Leonards-on-Sea. Educated at Oundle School and Queens' College, Cambridge, where his father had attended 30 years previously, Richard became energetically involved in rowing, c

John Henry Morad Romano was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Hillingdon. He was born in Egypt on 24 May 1926, the only child of Albert Romano, a solicitor in Cairo. His primary education was at École de Zamalek and from the age of 11 years at the Lycée Français in Cairo. He completed his Baccalaur

Paul Folca was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Torbay Hospital, Devon. He was born on 29 July 1933 in Cheltenham to Joseph and Cecilia Folca. His father had trained as an ecclesiastical joiner and worked at the renowned furniture design company Gordon Russell. During the Second World War, he work

John Dobree was born in Woolwich on 25 April 1914, the son of Hatherley Moor Dobree OBE, a civil engineer, and Muriel née Hope. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, and St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he qualified in 1938. He was house physician at the Metropolitan Hospital and the Western

Charles Cory was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in east Surrey. He was born in 1932, the son of John Walter Edward Cory, a doctor. He was educated at Epsom College and then studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and King's College Hospital Medical School, London. Shortly after qualifying, he held a tem

After graduating MB BS from the University of Melbourne in 1926, Frederick George Fenton became a resident medical officer at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. Deciding to specialise in ophthalmology he became a resident medical officer and later, registrar at the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospit