Frank Nicholson was a senior surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary. He was born in Cheshire on 6 September 1909, the son of Charles James Nicholson, a cotton merchant. Educated at St Bee's School, Cumbria, he had a distinguished academic record before proceeding to St Catherine's College, Cambridge,

Brian Pickering studied medicine at Guy's Hospital where he qualified in 1956. After junior surgical posts he specialised in cardiothoracic surgery, doing the rotation between the Middlesex, Hammersmith and Harefield Hospitals and the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street. He was appointed

Henry Barrett was born on 7 November 1903 in Timaru, New Zealand, the son of Henry, a farmer, and his wife Annie, née Campbell. One of his mother's uncles had the distinction of being physician to the Czar of Russia. He received his education at Hamilton High School where he distinguished himself

Hugh Reid was born, one of twins, in Bebington, Cheshire, on 19 January 1893, the son of a forwarding agent. The family soon moved to Lancashire and Hugh went to Merchant Taylor's School, Crosby. His studies at the Liverpool Medical School were interrupted by the first world war and he served as a S

John Stephen MacMahon was born at Cootamundra, New South Wales. His father was a solicitor practising there, but he also had a country property where the animals, the horses especially, fascinated the boy. He was educated at St Patrick's College, Goulburn, and from the very outset had an outstanding

C S Patel was born on 13 October 1905 at rural Palana, went to school there, and afterwards at Baroda and Poona. His medical education was at the Grant Medical College and the JJ group of hospitals in Bombay. He had a brilliant career as a student obtaining 13 prizes, medals and scholarships; he qua

Emerich Polak received his medical training in Prague and qualified in 1925. He continued his surgical training under Professor Rudolf Jedlicka and his first contact with English surgery was in 1926 when the Moynihan Travelling Club visited Prague. For forty years he directed an important surgical d

Libero Fatti was born on 13 January 1901 in Johannesburg of Italian parents, Luigi and Eliza Fatti, pioneers who had come from Sansepolcro, a small town in Tuscany, in 1896. He was educated until 1915 at the German school in Johannesburg and then at St John's College. After matriculating he started

John Gerald Callanan was born in Ennis, County Clare, on 21 June 1920, the son of John Callanan, a British Government Official, and his wife, Margaret. He spent his early years in England, returning for schooling to Mount Mellory where he attended the veterinary college for a while before transferri

Carl Semb was educated at the University of Oslo, graduating as a Doctor of Medicine. Early in his surgical career he decided to specialize in thoracic surgery, and at the Vardhasen Sanatorium established a celebrated service for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, his outstanding contribution

Henry Pierre was born in Trinidad in 1904 and received his early education at Queen's Royal College and his subsequent medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, where he qualified MB BS in 1931. The following year he returned to Trinidad and joined the medical service there. In 1

Noel Adeney, known as 'Jeff', was born in Cairo on 26 November 1897. His father, Frederick Field Adeney, was a priest, his mother was Rosalie, neé Savage. He was educated at Monkton Combe School and then St John's College, Cambridge, on an open classical scholarship. He served in the first world war