Nigel Harris was respected in the orthopaedic world, particularly for his participation in British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) conferences, where his pertinent questions often brought meetings to life. He had outspoken views on medico-social and medico-political issues and wrote many letters to *T

Guillaume Tom du Toit, known as 'Gumee', was professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He was born in Johannesburg on 22 November 1909, the son of Guillaume Johannes Izak du Toit, headmaster of the Abraham Kriel Orphanage at Langlaaglte, which had been founded for

Robert Bruce Salter, known as 'Bob', a sixth generation Canadian, was a pioneer in orthopaedic surgery in children. He was born in Stratford, Ontario, on 15 December 1924 and graduated from the University of Toronto. He then worked for two years at the Grenfell Medical Mission in Newfoundland, and s

Peter Shires was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey. He was born in Huddersfield, the son of Frank Shires, a wool merchant, and Marion née Eastwood. He was the nephew of Bertram Shires, a radiologist at St Thomas' and Great Ormond Street hospitals. He wa

Alexander Dawson was an orthopaedic surgeon who devoted much of his professional life to being one of the pioneers and exponents of modern hip replacement surgery. He was consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City. He died on 2 February 2007 aged 91, sur

Roger Stephen Davies was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Wigan. He was born on 4 February 1942 in north Wales, the eldest son of T Davies, a general practitioner. His early years were spent in Mold. He and his two brothers were left fatherless when his father died prematurely from heart disease.

John Monk was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Liverpool. He was educated in South Africa, at the Christian Brothers' College in Bokburg. After finishing his schooling, he worked in the family business and then went to the UK, hoping to start an acting career, but soon realised he wanted to be a

Michael Francis Pilcher was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the London Hospital. He was born on 4 October 1916 in Ealing, west London, the youngest of the seven children of Thorold Sturtevant Pilcher, a manufacturer, and Helena Pilcher née Neilson. His older brother, Robin Sturtevant Pilcher, be

Harry Piggott was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital. He was born in Kilburn, Derbyshire, on 16 December 1925, the only child of John Henry Piggott, a miner, and Elizabeth Piggott née Barrett, the daughter of a potter. He was educate

Ken McCluskey was the first orthopaedic surgeon to be appointed in Northern Ontario, Canada. He was born in Sorbie, Scotland, on 18 July 1925, where his father, James Joseph McCluskey, was a secretary. His mother was Alice née McShane. He was educated at St Joseph’s College, Dumfries, and then Stony

Harry Platt, the eldest son of Ernest Platt, a master velvet cutter, and of Jessie Cameron Platt (née Lindsey), was born at Thornham, Lancashire, on 7 October 1886. His father later became chairman of United Velvet Cutters, Ltd, and both parents lived to be nonagenarians. Harry's life was dominated

Hugh Phillips, the first surgeon from Norfolk to become president of the Royal College of Surgeons, died within his first year of office. A past president of the British Orthopaedic Association and the orthopaedic section of the Royal Society of Medicine, Hugh influenced every aspect of orthopaedic