David Francis Cort was born on 19 March 1935 in Hull, where his father was a bank manager. David was a bright student and gained a Staffordshire County scholarship which took him to Denstone College at Uttoxeter. From here he was awarded an open exhibition in natural sciences to Gonville and Caius C

Mendel Gordon was born on 31 May 1902. He went to school in Bournemouth before training at King's College, London and Charing Cross Medical School, where he qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1929 and was awarded the Governor's gold medal in medicine and surgery. After house surgeon appointments

Ashall was born in Addis Ababa in 1954 and received his medical education at St Mary's Hospital, whence he qualified in 1978. Dr Geoffrey Irvine, the medical superintendent at Chogoria Hospital in Kenya, where Ashall spent three months in 1973, inspired Ashall to turn to surgery after qualification;

Bruce Bailey was an innovative plastic surgeon at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 29 February 1928, where his father, John Bailey, was national secretary of the Cooperative party. His mother was Anne née Glaser, the daughter of a tailor. He was educated at Bradford

Oliver Mansfield was a consultant plastic surgeon to the West Midlands area. He was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, in 1912, the son of Percival Aubertine Mansfield, a general practitioner and Kathleen, a matron of a private nursing home. There was a strong medical tradition in the family - two of his cous

Ian McGregor was Director of the West of Scotland Plastic Surgery Unit at Cannisburn Hospital and a former President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He was born on 6 June 1921 in Glasgow, the son of a monumental mason and a seamstress, and was educated at North Kelvinside

Frank Robinson, the son of a general practitioner, was born in Bolton in 1914. There had been doctors in every generation of the family since 1800. After graduation from Manchester in 1940 he was called up for service in the RAMC, first at Aldershot and later at Baguley Emergency Medical Service Hos

Tom Gibson was born on 24 November 1915, the son of Thomas Gibson and his wife Mary, née Munn. He was educated at Paisley Grammar School and Glasgow University, whence he graduated MB ChB in 1938. Following junior house appointments at Glasgow Royal Infirmary he became assistant lecturer in surgery

Charles Henry Beard was born on 14 August 1938, the son of an eminent anaesthetist. He was educated at Westminster School, where he was a chorister, scholar and became school captain. As a chorister he had the distinction in 1953 to sing out 'Vivat, vivat Regina' when the crown was placed on Her Maj

Richard John Vulliamy Battle was born on 21 January 1907 at 49 Harley Street, London Wl, the son of William Henry Battle, surgeon to St Thomas's Hospital, London, and Annie Marguerite Vulliamy, who was descended from a long line of clockmakers. He was educated at Highfield School, Liphook, Gresham's

Frank Leo Hutter was born in Auckland on 6 February 1910 and after early education at Auckland Grammar School entered the University of Otago Medical School, qualifying in 1935. He spent a year in house appointments at Palmerston North Hospital before coming to England for further postgraduate appoi

Alfred Jones (Jim) Evans was born in Llanelli, Wales, on 13 August 1916. His father, Owen Garnon, was a meat purveyor and his mother Cicely Frances, née Evans, was a schoolmistress. He was educated at Christ College, Brecon, and St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, qualifying MRCS, LRCP in 1941. He serve