Samuel Scher started his medical studies at the University of Cape Town and, being a very bright student, he was awarded the MA in anatomy in 1926 with such brilliant classmates as Sir Solly Zuckerman, Tom Dry and David Slome. He then entered University College Hospital in London, qualified in 1930

William 'Bill' Thomas took up skiing at the age of 40 and, enjoying the challenge, soon made himself a competent skier by sheer hard work. He died suddenly while on a skiing holiday in St Moritz on 26 February 1982. He was educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Oxford, completing his c

Albert Clifford Morson was born in 1881 and educated at Haileybury College, subsequently going to Paris to study. He received his medical training at the Middlesex Hospital, London, qualifying in 1906, and becoming FRCS in 1912. His student career was distinguished both academically and in athletics

Andrew Ball, always known to his friends as 'Andy', was a consultant urologist in Southend, Essex. He was born in Bristol on 22 July 1949, the son of Keith Seymour Ball and Joan S Ball née Godfrey. Both parents were schoolteachers in the city and in his youth he regularly accompanied his father to s

Colin McRae was a distinguished New Zealand surgeon and a former President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was born in Waipukurau, New Zealand, on 18 March 1942. His father, Colin, and mother, Freda, were both schoolteachers. He was educated at Henderson High School, Auckland, and

Derek Packham was head of the urology department at King's. He was born on 25 April 1932 in a tiny house off the Walworth Road in South East London, the only child of Albert William Packham, a local butcher. His mother was Jessie née Symonds. His second name was 'Albert', much to his relief, as he w

Born at Sydney on 25 April 1888, son of Clarence Bridge, a woolbroker, and Helen MacMahon, his wife. Educated at St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney 1901-06 and at Sydney University 1907-11, he was a student of the first clinical school at Sydney Hospital 1909 and graduated with honours at the be

Charles Ian Murphie was born on 23 September 1911 in Birkenhead where his father was a partner in a family business. He was educated at Birkenhead School and Cheltenham College where he was a scholar. He then went to Wadham College, Oxford and came up to King's College Hospital for his clinical work

Born in 1889 in New Zealand son of the Public Trustee in Blenheim, he was educated at Marlborough College NZ and the University of Edinburgh where he qualified in 1914 and then held an appointment as house surgeon. After serving as resident surgical officer at St Peter's Hospital for Stone he was

Charles Lennox Ogilvy Macalister, or 'Mac' as he was always known, was a consultant urologist at Bradford Royal Infirmary. He was born on 5 June 1914 in Dundee, where his father, Charles, was a marine engineer. His mother was Elizabeth née McAinsh. He was educated at Morgan Academy and St Andrews Un

Reynold Francis Xavier Noronha or 'Rey' as we all knew him, was born on the island of Mombasa, in Kenya, on 3rd December 1940, the second son of a family of four (an older brother, Edwin, and younger sisters, Lydia and Bevinda). His parents, born and raised in the Portuguese colony of Goa (speaking

Alan Boyd Holmes was a giant of surgical practice in Tasmania and a pioneer of urology in the state. He died on 13 December 2013, at the age of 87. Three weeks earlier he was snorkelling with his family in Queensland. Alan grew up in Sydney, where he was dux of Artarmon opportunity school, and