Sri Singha was professor of surgery in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He was born on 14 February 1927, in Moratuwa, in what was then Ceylon, the son of A C Fernando, a doctor from Colombo, whose name he bore when he arrived in the UK. He was educated at St Thomas's College and the Royal College, Colombo, where h

Ary Blesovsky, commonly known as ‘Bles’, devoted his life to cardiothoracic surgery and was instrumental in bringing this surgery to numerous hospitals around the world. He was born in Pasvalys, Lithuania, the son of Jochiel and Pesi Blesovsky, but the family moved, in 1933, to South Africa. His fat

George Mann was an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge between 1965 and 1983. George was born on 4 June 1923 in Cheltenham, the son of Edgar Mann and Winifred Mann née Ballinger, and was subsequently educated at Cheltenham Grammar School. Whilst still at school he suf

Balwant Shenolikar was born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, on 22 November 1923, where his father, Kashinath Shenolikar, was a lawyer. His mother was Indira née Garde. He was educated at the College of Science of the University of Nagpur, and Carmichael Medical College, Calcutta, where he won prize

Arthur Pinkerton Crawford, the son of Andrew Pinkerton Crawford, a doctor, and his wife Lilian Mary, née Donnelly, was born on 22 September 1923 at Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. At the age of ten he spent a year confined to bed as a result of polio and was educated at the Church of England Gram

Thomas McNair was born on 1 March 1927 in Edinburgh, the son of David MacMillan McNair, a mining engineer, and his wife Helen Jackson, née Rae. He received his education at George Watson's College before entering the medical school at Edinburgh University where he qualified in 1949. He served in the

Roland Barnes was the first professor of orthopaedic surgery at Glasgow University. He was born in Accrington, Lancashire, on 21 May 1907. His father, Benjamin, was a master baker. His mother was Mary Anne, née Bridge. He was educated at Accrington Grammar School and Manchester University, where he

John Macdougall (known as 'John MacD' to his friends) was born on 18 February 1925 in Blackheath, South East London, where he attended Cherry Orchard Preparatory School, and subsequently the City of London School, where he excelled in both cricket and rugby. He then won an open scholarship to Corpus

Frank Couper Walker was born on 21 May 1925. He qualified at Glasgow Medical School with honours in 1952. His undergraduate career was marked by numerous prizes and certificates of merit awarded in every subject from anatomy to otorhinolaryngology. His father was John Walker, a doctor in the Colonia

Jack Stevens was born in Ingleton in Yorkshire and was proud of his West Riding roots. He won a scholarship from his school to Christ College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in the rowing club, as well as academically. He graduated MA, MB ChB in 1949, and spent two years as a National Ser

Alan Richardson was a consultant neurosurgeon at Atkinson Morley's Hospital, London. He was born in Walthamstow, Essex, on 21 August 1926, the youngest of four sons of William Richardson OBE, company secretary for an oil company, and his wife, Daisy. He was educated at St Egbert's Roman Catholic Sch