James Baird was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Wellington. He was born on 24 January 1922 in Hastings, New Zealand, the son of Hugh William Charles Baird, a director of a drapery company, and Jeanie Aiton Baird née Aitken. He was educated at Mohora School in Hastings and then Wellington College. He wen

Ian Hill was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was born on 8 June 1919. When he was only five he developed diphtheria and was admitted to an isolation hospital for many weeks. There he was allowed no visits from his family and witnessed at close quarters th

Alan Mearns was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Bradford. He studied medicine in Liverpool, qualifying MB ChB in 1963, and continued his surgical training in the city, passing his FRCS Edinburgh in 1969 and his FRCS in 1970. After a post as a senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at Killingbeck Hos

Harold Frank McGhie Bassett was born in Klang, Federated Malay States, on 4 June 1923, the son of John Harold Bassett a barrister-at-law and County Court Judge and Leila, nee McGhie. He was educated at Harrow School where he obtained an entrance exhibition before entering St Thomas's Hospital Medica

William Keith Douglas was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. He was born in Manchester on 30 March 1917, the son of William Robert Douglas, a general surgeon who gained the FRCS in 1910, and Margaret Douglas née Kirkbride, a singer. He was educated at Leas School, Hoylake

Jeffrey Graeme Bennett was a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Hospital. He trained originally in Brisbane, Queensland before passing the Edinburgh Fellowship in 1971. He passed the FRCS in 1972 and held posts at the London Chest Hospital as well as at the Brompton

Don Bennett was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Sydney Adventist Hospital. He was born on 14 April 1939 in Brisbane, the eldest son of Sir Arnold Lucas Bennett, a barrister, and his first wife Marjory (née Williams), who died when Don and his three siblings were very young. He was then raised

Mark Xavier Shanahan was one of the distinguished surgeons who pioneered the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney from the mid 1950's. He was selected to join Harry Windsor on the Hospital staff in 1963, and together with Harry, perceived the talents of Victor Chang as a R

Robert Alexander Murdoch Lawson (known as 'Bob') was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. He was born on 11 February 1938, in a farmhouse in Ardross, a tiny village in Ross-shire in the Highlands of Scotland. His parents, Margaret Perrins Lawson née Murdoch and Robert MacKen

Bryn Terence Williams was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He was born on 7 February 1939 in Halesowen, the son of George Frederick Williams and May Elizabeth Williams née Poole. He studied medicine at Birmingham University, qualifying in June 1962. After gradu

Subir Datta was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary. This is a draft obituary. If you have any information about this surgeon or are interested in writing this obituary, please email lives@rcseng.ac.uk

Hans Huysmans was born into a family of doctors on 8 August 1933 in Oudenbosch, the Netherlands. He studied medicine at the State University of Utrecht from 1950 to 1957. In 1954, when he was still a medical student, he was involved in rescue work during the dreadful floods in the Netherlands and wa