Walpole Sinclair Lewin was born on August 20, 1915. His father died while he was very young. After a brilliant career at school he entered university as an exhibitioner and qualified from University College Hospital in 1939. After resident appointments at UCH he proceeded to FRCS in 1940 and at the

Laurie Lassman was born in London on 21 June 1913, the son of Henry Lassman, an electrical engineer, and Julia, née Abrahams, a Hebrew bookbinder. He was educated at Raine's School and went on to the London Hospital Medical College to study medicine, qualifying with the conjoint diploma in 1937 and

Bennett was educated at Cambridge University and University College Hospital. After qualification and a house post at University College Hospital he was a medical officer (research) at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. Later he was surgical registrar at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseas

Anthony Booth, neurosurgeon, was born in Liverpool on 20 April 1934, the son of Edmund Booth, a company director, and Henrietta, a teacher. He was educated at Gordonstoun School and King's College, Cambridge, completing his medical studies at University College Hospital, London. His training in n

Lawrence Sutcliffe Walsh was born on 7 January 1916 in East London, South Africa, the son of Richard Chadwick Walsh, an engineer, and his wife Maria, née Schofield. He was educated at Selbourne College. In order to study medicine it was first necessary for him to qualify in pharmacy. Later he obtain

Richard Johnson was born on 30 June 1912 in Manchester, the son of Herbert Johnson, a company secretary, and Grace, née Rose. He was educated at King's School, Macclesfield and in 1932 was awarded an Exhibition to Downing College, Cambridge, where he obtained first class honours in the natural scien

Born in Rochdale, Lancashire, on 19 May 1947, Richard Harold Lye's father Vincent was a technical salesman. His mother was Agnes née Ashurst. He was educated at Rochdale Convent Preparatory School, Bury Grammar School for Boys, and Manchester University. There he completed an honours BSc degree in p

John Potter was a consultant neurosurgeon and director of postgraduate education at Oxford. He was born in London on 28 February 1920. His father, Alistair Richardson Potter, was a brewer. His mother was Mairi Chalmers née Dick, a housewife whose father had edited the songs of Robert Burns. He was e

Bernard Williams was born on 20 April 1932 in Stockport, Cheshire, the son of Francis Bernard Williams, a shoe retailer, and Hope Johnson, the daughter of the sea captain and author Walter Rise Hawkins Johnson. He was educated at Stretford Grammar School and the University of Birmingham, where he qu

John Segelov was born in Maitland, New South Wales, in 1929 and was educated at Newcastle High School. His medical training was at Sydney University from which he graduated MB BS in 1952, and his experience as resident medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital aroused his interest in neuro

Geoffrey Knight was born on 4 October 1906 at Lowfield Heath, Surrey, the only son of Cureton Hope Overbeck Knight, a produce broker, and Ida Emily Norton, the daughter of a physician whose uncles served as surgeons in the Crimean War. He was educated at Wadham House School, Hove, and Brighton Colle

Ramanand Kalbag (known as ‘Ram’) was the first Indian-born consultant in neurosurgery when he was appointed to the department of neurosurgery in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1964. Ram, the elder son of Mangesh and Uma Kalbag, was born on 6 March 1926 at his maternal grandparents’ home in Karwar, a town on