John Bertram Phillips was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 9 June 1924, the only son of Gerald Bertram Phillips, a dental mechanic, and his wife Isabel May, née Cunningham. His early education was at Lindfield Primary School, Sydney, and North Sydney Boys' High School. He studied medicine at Sydn

Carl Frederick Leberne received his professional education at the University of Sydney, whence he qualified MB, BS in 1955. After his training years at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, he specialised in surgery, beginning as a demonstrator in anatomy at Sydney University in 1958. On coming to Britain

Tom Menzies was born on 28 November 1922 in Crowborough, Sussex, to Major General Thomas Menzies, CB, OBE, JP, formerly of the RAMC, and Euphemia, née Anderson. He attended Aberdeen Grammar School and the University of Aberdeen Medical School, where he played rugby for the first XV and won the Keith

Kelvin Thomas was a consultant surgeon at Nottingham General and King Mill hospitals. He was born in Hong Kong on 11 November 1926, the son of George Harold Thomas, a surgeon, and Nora née Gourdin. His father was formally admitted as a fellow by election by Sir Arthur Porritt in 1961, who went to Ho

Hugh Forrest, whose father was a draughtsman and whose mother, Annie Tough Hay was a secretary, was born in Greenock on 12 June 1929. His initial education was at Greenock High School, where he won a poster prize for National Savings; he then went on to medical school in Glasgow, graduating in 1955

John Matheson was a former professor of military surgery at the Royal Army Medical College, Millbank, London. He was born in Gibraltar on 6 August 1912, the son of John Matheson, the then manager of the Eastern Telegraph station, and Nina. The family later moved on to Malta and then to Port Said. Jo

Alastair Smellie was a much respected consultant general surgeon to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, with breast and endocrine specialist interests, a lecturer at the university and for many years a senior examiner for final MB BChir examinations. He was born on 17 May 1933 in Woking, Surrey, int

Douglas George Arnott Eadie was a consultant surgeon at the London Hospital. He was born on 16 June 1931, the son of Herbert Arnott Eadie, a general practitioner in Leeds, and Hannah Sophia née Wingate. His father died when Douglas was a year old and he was brought up by his step-father, Sir Raymond