Samuel Scher started his medical studies at the University of Cape Town and, being a very bright student, he was awarded the MA in anatomy in 1926 with such brilliant classmates as Sir Solly Zuckerman, Tom Dry and David Slome. He then entered University College Hospital in London, qualified in 1930

Born on 29 March 1910, the third child of David Shackman, a manufacturing jeweller and diamond merchant, Ralph was educated at the Grocers' Company School and St Bartholomew's Hospital. Before the second world war he was the resident surgical officer at the Royal Infirmary Sheffield where he was enc

Ian Potts was a consultant urologist in Sydney. He was born in Sydney on 30 September 1921, the son of Theodore Kenneth Potts and Violet Mary Potts née Canning. His father, uncle, brother, nephew and cousin were all doctors. He was educated at Newington College, where he was *dux*, and then went on

John McNamara was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 29 October 1912, a son of Mathew, an accountant, and Alice (née Gunning). His brother Matthew, also a doctor, died in 1942 while a prisoner of war of the Japanese. John was educated at the Jesuit Colleges of St Patrick and Xavier and at St Vincent's

William 'Bill' Thomas took up skiing at the age of 40 and, enjoying the challenge, soon made himself a competent skier by sheer hard work. He died suddenly while on a skiing holiday in St Moritz on 26 February 1982. He was educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Oxford, completing his c

Ivan Ballantyne Tait was a consultant in charge of genitourinary medical services at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was born on 14 September 1928 in Stepps, Lanarkshire, Scotland. His father, also Ivan Tait, was a civil engineer; his mother was Elise Alexander Tait née Forsyth. He studied medicine at t

James Cyril Angell received his medical education at the Middlesex Hospital. After qualification he was for a time resident surgical officer at St Mark's Hospital and senior surgical registrar at the Central Middlesex Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital before moving to specialise in urology, and

Alec Badenoch was born in Banff on 23 June 1903, the son of John Alexander Badenoch, a chartered accountant, and Georgina Dingwall Joiner, daughter of a master mariner. He was educated at Banff Academy and went on the Marischal College, Aberdeen, to read English Literature, but later changed to medi

Henry Kenneth Vernon was born on 10 December 1908, the son of Walter Vernon, a pharmacist, and his wife Sarah Ann, née Davies. He was educated at Hartlepool Grammar School and Durham University College of Medicine where he was awarded the Phillipson Scholarship. He graduated MB, BS in 1931 and was a

Gordon Bryden was a senior lecturer and consultant urologist at the University of Sheffield and the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. He was born on 7 November 1965 in Paisley, Scotland. His father, Archie Bryden, was a virologist, his mother's maiden name was Hunter. His parents moved south when he was t

Denis Poole-Wilson, a consultant surgeon at Salford, was an outstanding urologist of the post-war years, whose pupils went on to staff many of the most successful departments. He began by transforming the situation in Manchester. By demonstrating that treatment, especially for cancer, could be more

Patrick Doyle was a consultant urologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. He was born in Exeter on 27 October 1941, the son of William Doyle, the county medical officer for Devon, and Mary Dalton. Patrick was educated at Belmont Abbey School, Hereford, and St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he wa