Norman Hughes was born in Bangor, County Down, on 15 May 1915, the son of William Edwin Hughes, a manager of the Royal Insurance Company in Belfast, and his wife Elizabeth Knox, née Campbell, who was artistic and an enthusiastic gardener and golfer. Hughes was educated at Bangor Grammar School and Q

John Barron was born in Napier, New Zealand on 23 December 191 1. He was educated at Wangunui and Otago where he was a rowing blue and a champion skier, and also attained a civil pilot's licence. He qualified in 1937, was house surgeon at Christchurch Hospital, and then went to Britain for surgical

Bob Ratcliffe was a consultant in plastic, hand and reconstructive surgery at Canniesburn Hospital, Glasgow. He was born on 15 June 1957 at St Helens, Lancashire, the son of Robert Ernest Ratcliffe, an electrician, and Jean Elizabeth née Worrall. As a child he was interested in mechanical objects, w

Graeme Bertram ("Blue") Blake was born in Palmerston North but grew up mainly in Wellington, attending Kelburn Primary School and Wellington College. After his medical intermediate year at Victoria University he studied medicine at Otago University from 1958 to 1961. He met Brenda Hayward, a fellow

David Allen Crockford was born on 21 August 1930 in London. The son of Allen Lepard Crockford, CBE, DSO, MC, TD, MA, MB, BCh, MRCS, LRCP, late Brigadier, RAMC, and then Hon Surgeon to King George VI and HM the Queen. His mother was Doris Ellen, née Brookes-Smith. His early education was at St Pirans

Maxwell O'Mara was born 28 September 1923 the only son of William Timothy (Tim) O'Mara a grazier and Mary Rose (May) Long. He was educated at the Christian Brothers College, Waverley, NSW, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, NSW and Sydney University (St John's College and St Vincent's Hospital). Du

Norman August Marais Petersen studied at the University of London and passed MB BS in 1920. In 1920 he also passed the Conjoint Examination at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 1923 he became a Fellow of both the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England. He specialised in plasti

Robert (Robin) Welsh was born on 23 April 1928 in Witbank, Transvaal, South Africa, the eldest son of Dr Robert William Hepburn Welsh, a general practitioner in Pretoria for thirty years, and Evelyn Jessie Watson. He was educated at St John's College, Johannesburg, and the University of Witwatersran

Michael Hackett, or Mike, as he was always known, was born on 6 August 1931 in Morecambe, Lancashire. He was the son of Jack Hackett, editor of *The Morecombe Visitor* and the nephew of Desmond Hackett, the well-known *Daily Express* sports writer. He was educated at Preston Catholic College and pro

David Matthews was a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon based in London. He was born in Bromley, Kent, on 7 July 1911. His father, Harold Hamilton Matthews, was a surveyor. His mother, Jeanie née Johnstone, together with a governess, educated him until the age of 10. He won an exhibition from

Noshir Hormasji Antia was a pioneering plastic surgeon in India, particularly known for his work treating patients with leprosy. He was born in Bombay, India, on 8 February 1922, into a Parsi family, the son of Hormasji Antia, a shopkeeper, and Soonamai. He was educated at Esplanade High School, Bom

Richard Lionel Spittel was born on 9 December 1881 in Tangalle, a town on the south coast of Ceylon, where his father Dr F G Spittel was stationed at that time as Government Medical Officer. He entered the Ceylon Medical College at the turn of the century, and qualified LMS Ceylon in 1905. He entere