Rikus Schoonees was a urologist in Cape Town, South Africa. He was born in Kuruman, South Africa, on 20 October 1937. His father, Diderikus Anthonie Schoonees, was a university lecturer; his mother, Maria Magdalena Schoonees née Van Der Bergh, was the daughter of a farmer. He was educated at Paul Ro

Malcolm Menelaus was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 11 October 1930, where his father, Benbow Menelaus, was a banker. His mother was Gladys née Wills. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne, and Melbourne University, where he qualified in 1954. After two years at Prince Henry's Hospital, Mel

John Ferguson, or Fergie as he was always known, was a consultant general surgeon on Guernsey, Channel Islands. He was born on 28 August 1943 in Tantobie, near Stanley, County Durham and was educated at Tanfield Lea Junior School and Stanley Grammar School. He excelled at school and was gifted with

Joseph Francis Silva was a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon who developed the Silva replacement elbow. He was born on 12 September 1915 in Moratuwa, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was educated at St Peter’s College, Colombo, and then at Ceylon Medical College in the same city. He qualified in 1941 with

Simon Wapnick was an anatomist based in New York. He was born on 25 October 1937 in Pretoria, South Africa, the son of Percy Jacob Wapnick and Fanny née Levitt. He was educated at Pretoria Boys’ High School and then went on to the University of Pretoria Medical School. He held house appointments at

Herbert Nevile Burwell was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Dewsbury and district group of hospitals. He was born in Leeds on 12 June 1920, one of three sons of Arthur Reginald Burwell, an insurance broker and Mabel Walker, née Robinson. His brother, R Geoffrey Burwell, was a consultant ortho

Hugh Osborne Williams, the son of Dr William Neville Pennant Williams, a general practitioner, and of May Williams (née Ridgeway), was born at Connah's Quay on 3 February 1920. He was educated at Epworth School, in Rhyl, before entering the medical school of Liverpool University. In the attenuated w

A trauma surgeon, Emin Alpar was a former medical director of the Birmingham Accident Hospital. He was born on 30 August 1943, in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of Mithat Alpar, an industrialist, and Nevin Alpar, a housewife. He was educated at Ankara College, where he gained a baccalaureate in 17 subjec