Herbert Kitchener Bourns was born in County Galway on 14 July 1916, the sixth of seven children of Harry J Bourns, a farmer and landowner, and his wife Esther Josephine, née Cornwall. His early education was at St Columba's College near Dublin, after which he entered Trinity College Dublin for his m

William Gissane was born in Sydney on 26 April 1898 and educated at Ignatius College, where he captained the cricket and boxing and played rugby for the public schools of New South Wales. He served in the RAA during the first world war and returned to Australia to study medicine at the University of

Olney, who was born in 1950, received his medical education at Westminster Hospital, qualifying with the conjoint diploma and the London MB BS in 1973. After a year working in various surgical specialties in Australia, he completed his training in Yorkshire. He was tutor in accident and plastic surg

John Fulford was the former director of Birmingham General Hospital's accident and emergency department and a consultant surgeon. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and entered the medical school there in 1937. He had a most distinguished undergraduate career and qualified in 1942, after passing seve

William Rutherford was one of the pioneers of accident and emergency medicine as a specialty in the UK. The son of a Presbyterian minister, he was born on 15 July 1921 at Warrenpoint, County Down. His family moved to Dun Laoghaire near Dublin, but he went to boarding school in Belfast. He rejected G

Edward Kadzombe was a consultant in accident and emergency surgery in Liverpool. He was born in Mgoza village in Balaka, Malawi. He was educated at Mtendere and Blantyre secondary schools before gaining a scholarship to study medicine at the University of Manchester. He qualified MB ChB in 1975. He

Geoffrey William Hinchley (Geoff) was an accident and emergency surgeon at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, London. Born in Barrow in Furness on 4 December 1959, he was the second of four children. At Barrow Boys Grammar School he excelled both in class and on the athletics field. He studied medicine a

Chandra Pal de Fonseka was an accident and emergency surgeon in Bristol. He was born in Panadura, Ceylon, on 22 December 1919 into a family with many medical connections. His grandfather and two uncles were medical practitioners. His father, Hector Clarence de Fonseka, was a landowner who managed hi

David Caro was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 8 February 1922, the son of Harold D Caro, a merchant, and Rubina, née Ballin. He was educated at King's School and College, Auckland, before entering Otago University in Dunedin. He qualified in 1946 and shortly afterwards came to England for postgrad

John Noel Nish was born in Benalla, Victoria, Australia, in 1913, the son of a general practitioner and the grandson of the Reverend Dr Nish who left Scotland to preach to the goldminers in Bendigo. He was educated at Geelong Grammar School before entering Trinity College, Melbourne, for medical stu

James Dunbar Morgan was born in Liverpool in 1913 and educated at Liverpool College and at Sheffield University where he graduated in medicine in 1940. He later worked in the orthopaedic department of the Sheffield Royal Infirmary, then under the influence of Sir Frank Holdsworth. He was thus well g

Douglas William Cowley Gawne was born Minneapolis, USA, on 5 September 1906, of Manx parentage. He was educated at King William School, Isle of Man, and later went up to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and to St Bartholomew's Hospital. He qualified MB BCh in 1932. After several house appointm