R H O B Robinson was born in 1897 in London. He was known to his friends as Joey. His childhood was spent in Upper Wimpole Street where his father practised as a consulting surgeon; and he lived all his days in a world of surgery that was changing. His career spanned the years that marked the evo

Born in London in 1903, he was educated at Alleyn's School and King's College Hospital where he qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1927. After qualification he became resident surgical officer at the Hallam Hospital West Bromwich and then, returning to King's College Hospital, surgical registrar

Michael Treherne Barton qualified MB BS in 1961 and worked as research surgical officer at St Paul's Hospital, London, surgical registrar at the Bromley Hospital and junior lecturer in anatomy at Guy's Hospital Medical School. He passed the FRCS in 1969 and was Freemasons Research Fellow of the Roya

Jeremiah Burke was born at Douglas, Cork, on 19 February 1913 the son of Jeremiah Burke, a farmer and his mother was Ellen O'Reagan, the daughter of a farmer. He was educated at Christian College, Cork, and at University College, Cork (National University of Ireland), where he gained the Hutchinson

Born at Adelaide, Australia on 13 February 1910, son of John Corbin, surgeon, and Margaret Ogilvie, he was educated at Queen's School, Adelaide and Geelong Grammar School, Victoria, after which he attended St Mark's College, University of Adelaide and graduated in medicine in 1933. While an undergra

Kennedy Burnside was born in Melbourne on 9 December 1913. He was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School before going to the University of Melbourne to read medicine. He graduated in 1937 and was successively resident and registrar at the Alfred Hospital in 1938 and 1939. During t

Born on 5 July 1905 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, George Young Feggetter was the sixth son and the ninth child of William Feggetter, a shipbroker and coal exporter, and Amelia née Young, the daughter of a tobacconist. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and studied m

John Atwell was a paediatric surgeon in Southampton and a distinguished paediatric urologist. He was born on 17 May 1929 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. His father, Percival John Cyril Atwell, was a manager with Shell Oil; his mother was Doris May Atwell née Gardner. When he was five, the family returned t

Irvine Smith was a consultant surgeon to Burton-on-Trent General Hospital. He was born in Ilkley on 5 December 1919. His father, Fredric Battinson Smith, was a forensic pathologist who had won the Military Cross in the first world war and later advised the Ministry of Health on setting up a national

Michael Du Preez (he did not use ‘Hercules’) was born in Cape Town on 19 November 1935, the son of Hercules James Du Preez, a company director, and his wife Josephine Florence née Koll. Educated at Rondebosch Boy’s School from 1944 to 1952, he proceeded to study medicine at the University of Cape To

William Hardy Hendren (always known as Hardy) was universally accepted as being the leading American paediatric surgeon of his generation. Known worldwide for his meticulous surgical technique and his pioneering ability to correct seemingly intractable anatomical conditions, he was driven by the man

Alexander McCalister (known as 'Alex') was a consultant general surgeon at the Ulster Hospital. He was born in Belfast on 6 June 1925 and grew up in rural Northern Ireland in relatively poor circumstances: his mother cooked on an open peat fire and they had no piped water in the home. His family sug