John Kirk was a consultant plastic surgeon at the Tayside Regional Plastic Surgery Unit. He was born in Edinburgh on 23 June 1922, but spent most of the first six years of his life in China, where his mother and father, also John Kirk, were medical missionaries. The family returned to the UK in 1928

Mike Butler helped establish and develop general surgical services in the Isle of Thanet, Margate and Ramsgate, Kent. He was born on 21 January 1924 in London, the third child and first son of Frank Butler and Ailsa Butler née Beckwith. His father served in the First World War and was a dentist, ori

Arthur Robertson Makey was a consultant general and cardiothoracic surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He was born on 3 June 1922 in Dover, Kent, the son of Arthur Frank Makey, a corn chandler and seedman, and Lily Makey née Findlay, a tailoress. He was educated at Dover Grammar School and th

Patrick Gowans Laing was an orthopaedic surgeon in Pittsburgh, United States, and a pioneering researcher into the use of safe metals for surgical implants. He was born in Putney, London, on 8 November 1923, the son of Harold James Gowans Laing, a major in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Enginee

Robin Francis McNab Jones, a much-respected leading ENT surgeon, was a consultant at both St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, London, where for five years he also served as dean of the Institute of Laryngology and Otology (from 1971 to 1976). He was born

Peter Forbes Philip was a consultant urologist at Charing Cross Hospital and a prime mover in organising the hospital’s rebuilding. Philip was born on 6 January 1922 in Walthamstow, where his father, George Stuart Bain Philip, was a general practitioner who had qualified at Charing Cross. His mother

John Fraser Shaw was a neurosurgeon who trained under, and then assisted, Norman Dott with his pioneering work. He was, in his own words, 'fortunate' to arrive at this position - 'lucky' to serve under Dott at the neurosurgical department of the Edinburgh Western General. John was born in Calcutta i

Neville Rees was a former medical director of Saudi Medicare and a medical superintendent in Perth, Australia. He was born in Gorseinon, near Swansea, on 20 February 1922, the son of David Cyril Rees, a steel worker, and Olwen Elizabeth née Clark. From Gowerton Boys Grammar School he went to the Lon

John Victor Ellis qualified MD from Cornell University in 1943 and continued his studies at University College, London, where he qualified MB BS in 1945. He was resident surgeon in neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, and then became resident surgical officer to Worthing Hospit

Little is known of the career of Richard Neville Austin. He worked in England as orthopaedic registrar at St Bartholomew's Hospital and as a house surgeon at Northampton General Hospital. He was a member of the British Medical Association and became a Fellow of the College in 1959. It is probable th

Graham Schofield was a consultant general surgeon in Lanarkshire. He was born on 23 December 1923 in Wandsworth, London, and was educated at Highfield Preparatory and Emmanuel School, before going to University College London to study medicine. He graduated at the age of 21 and was appointed as a ho

Declan O’Keeffe was a surgeon in Kenya. He was born in London on 18 February 1922, the son of Edmond, a furniture salesman, and Jessica Edith née Riches. From St Dominic’s Preparatory School, West Hampstead, he won a ‘free place’ to the Regent Street Polytechnic Secondary School. He later went to Gu