John Reginald St George Stead was born in Grahamstown, South Africa, on 20 June 1908. His father was William Yewdall Stead, a missionary priest, and his mother, Miriam Peterson, was the daughter of an architect. He was the sixth child in the family and the third boy. He was educated at St Andrew's P

Donald Buchanan Brown was surgeon in charge of the wards at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. He was born on 24 June 1910 at Connel, near Oban, Scotland. His family were farmers and ministers, and he was brought up in a Gaelic-speaking household. He attended primary school at Kilmore, south of Oban, w

Douglas Robertson was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal Hospital, Sheffield. He was born in London in 1919 of Scottish parents. His father, Falconer Robertson, was a banker, and his mother, Jane Mary Duff, was a teacher. Douglas was educated at the Stationers’ Company School. He entered St B

Graham Smart was a general surgeon at Wairau Hospital, Blenheim, New Zealand. He was born in Croydon, Surrey, on 8 November 1915, the son of Sidney William Smart, a railway executive, and Lilian Smart née Bachelar. He attended elementary school in Croydon and went on to Selhurst Grammar School. As a

William Weatherston Wilson, known as 'Bill', was a highly-respected general surgeon who spent his entire consultant career in Lancashire. He was first appointed as an assistant surgeon at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, in July 1949; he was then 'upgraded' in February 1950 to consultant su

Romiel Anthonis was the most celebrated Asian surgeon of his day, and a role model to generations of Sri Lankans. He was born in Bambalapitiya, a suburb of Colombo, on 21 January 1911, one of the 16 children of Polwatte Arachchige Michael Anthonis, a master-carpenter, and Hettiarachchige Engaltina P

Gordon Andrew Barclay was a consultant surgeon in London's East End, at St Andrew's Hospital, Bow, East Ham Memorial Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital. He was also an honorary lecturer at the London Hospital Medical College. Prior to his consultant appointments, he was a member of a British paedia

Leslie Le Quesne was professor of surgery at the Middlesex Hospital, London. He was born in Ashburton, Devon, on 24 August 1919. His father, Charles Thomas Le Quesne, was a prominent barrister, originally from Jersey; his mother, Florence Elizabeth Eileen Pearce Gould, was the granddaughter of Sir A

Philip Shemilt was a highly respected consultant surgeon at Salisbury General Hospital. Over a long career as a general surgeon, which included service during the Second World War and a period spent working in post-colonial Zimbabwe, he carried out 32,000 operations. He was born in Stoke-on-Trent, S

Maitreyee Chaudhuri was born on 19 May 1910 and died on 6 June 2010, at the age of 100. She gained her FRCS in 1947.

Robert Fuller was born in Acton, London, on 4 January 1916. His father, Charles, was a company director. His mother was Mildred Kate née Lambert, a housewife. Robert was educated at St Paul's from 1928 to 1934, and then went on to St Mary's Hospital to study medicine. After qualifying in 1939, with

Bob Horton was a consultant surgeon at the United Bristol Hospitals. He was born in south London on 5 July 1917, the son of Arthur John Budd Horton, a schoolteacher, and Isabel Horton née Cotton, the daughter of a master mariner. He was educated at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School, and studied medici