Gordon France was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Lewisham Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. He was born in Heckmondwike, west Yorkshire, on 12 July 1912. His father was a cabinet maker and joiner, and his mother, Harriet Alice née Firth, a dressmaker. From Heckmondwike Grammar School,

Julian Bruner was a founder member and past President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on 4 December 1900. His father, Harootune Avedis Minassian, came from Turkey, qualified at the Central Turkey College in 1886, and later studied at Bellevue Hospita

John Shelswell was born in Warwickshire on 19 January 1919. His father, Henry Bower Shelswell, was a hospital administrator, his mother was Lily née Johnson. He was educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield, and Manchester Grammar School, before going on to read medicine at Manchester University

John Knowles Stanley was a consultant hand surgeon at Wrightington Hospital, Manchester, where he led the upper limb unit, and a professor of hand surgery at the University of Manchester. He was born in Cardiff on 30 March 1944 the son of Frederick John Stanley and Mary Thelma Stanley née Morgan but

Hugh Brown was a consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, and a former president of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand. He was born on 25 February 1927 in Newcastle upon Tyne. His father, Charles Frank Brown, was a bank manager; his mother was Edith Temple Brow

Murray Matthewson was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Cambridge and a former president of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand. 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

Donald Neil Robinson was a plastic surgeon in Adelaide, South Australia. He was born on 28 October 1924 in Salisbury, South Australia. His father, Edwin Alexander Robinson, was a bank manager; his mother was Mary Robinson née Nicholson. From 1939 to 1941 Robinson attended Scotch College in Adelaide

Murad Ghorbal was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Liverpool’s Walton and Fazakerley hospitals. Born in Masr El Gedida, Egypt on 17 March 1931 to Gertrude Humberstone of Bradford and an Egyptian, Shafik Ghorbal, Murad spent a happy childhood growing up in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis. His mothe

Gordon Robertson was a specialist in plastic surgery in Winnipeg and an associate professor at the University of Manitoba’s faculty of medicine. 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.

Neil Watson was a hand surgeon in Oxford and Milton Keynes, and later a successful artist. He was born on 13 February 1944 at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford. Neil's father, John Stuart Ferra Watson, and paternal grandfather were both Guy's-trained doctors. As his father served in the Royal Army M

Mohamed Aly Mohamed Arafa was a consultant in trauma and orthopaedic surgery at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. His sub-specialty was hand surgery. He was born on 9 May 1950 and gained his MB BCh from Cairo University in 1973 and his FRCS in 1978. Prior to his consultant appointment, he was a regi

Alwyn Wilkinson was a consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at Oldham Hospital. He was born on 9 March 1925. His mother’s maiden name was Day. He grew up in Hollinwood, Oldham and studied medicine at Manchester University. He qualified in 1949 and gained his FRCS in 1961. He trained in Manch