Ronald McGrigor was born in London on 1 January 1920, the son of Dalziel McGrigor and Dorothy Macgregor Drysdale. His father was a radiologist in the RAMC. He was educated at Stowe School and Trinity College Cambridge, where he passed the Natural Sciences Tripos in 1940 and then went to St Bartholom

James Cyril Fraser Cregan, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Manchester, the son of James Grattan Cregan and his wife Gertrude, née Fraser, was born in London on 16 November 1918. His uncle, grandfather and great-uncle had all been doctors in London, Warwickshire, Manchester and Cheshire. His early

Albert Tompkin was born on 14 March 1921 in Nottingham, the son of Albert, an analytical chemist and his wife, Lucy, née Wilson, who was a teacher. He went to Nottingham High School and long before he left he had made up his mind to be a surgeon. In 1937 while still only sixteen years of age he was

David Stirk was a consultant general surgeon in Barnstaple and an authority on golf. He was born in Exeter on 1 March 1916, the son of a doctor. He was educated at Blundell’s and studied medicine at St Mary’s Hospital. After five years in the RAMC, three of which were spent in India, he returned t

John Stephens was a general surgeon at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He was born on 29 March 1919 in Northamptonshire, where his father was an engineer with farming interests. Educated at Stowe School, his scholastic achievements were complimented by a flair for sport, particularly rugby. At Gonvill

Arthur Wall was born on 10 April 1917 in Hulme, Manchester, the son of Arthur Wall, a pharmacist, and Bertha Elizabeth Pack. He was educated at Old Trafford High School and received his medical education at the University of Manchester Medical School. In his preclinical years he was awarded the Tom

Peter Choyce was a leading ophthalmic surgeon who championed and developed artificial lens implants. He was born on 1 March 1919 in London. His father, Charles Coley Choyce, was professor of surgery at University College Hospital, and a member of Council at the time of his death in 1937. His mother

Derek Gordon Lambley was born on 8 May 1918 and was educated at Parmiter's School in Bethnal Green and University College, London, where he took a first-class BSc in anatomy. He continued clinical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital and won the Brackenbury Scholarship in medicine, graduating in 19

John Nevile Aston was born in Cheltenham on 4 March 1919 and educated at Monkton Coombe School where he was distinguished academically and as an oarsman. In 1937 he entered St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College where he qualified in 1942 and became house surgeon there for six months. He was then

Sir David Innes Williams (generally known as 'DI') had two careers of equal distinction and near equal length - as a surgeon and as an academic administrator. However, he was first and foremost a surgeon. He was born on 12 June 1919 in London into a distinguished medical family. His father, Gwynne E

Hugh Graham Stack was born in Bristol on 7 December 1915, the third son of Edward H E Stack FRCS (*Lives of the Fellows* 2, 340), ophthalmic surgeon to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and his wife Caroline, née Kennedy. His early education was at Clifton College and whilst there he was awarded the H H

John Howard Lees Ferguson was the third generation of a medical family. He was educated at Shrewsbury School where he was a classical scholar. Although pressed to continue in this field, he was determined to study medicine and entered Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, before moving to the Middl