Geddes received his medical education at Birmingham University, qualifying MB ChB in 1958, passed the conjoint diploma in the same year, and obtained his Fellowship in 1964. After house posts at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Birmingham, he was surgical registrar at Birmingham Children's Hospital and s

Melvyn Keith Tidman trained at University College Hospital and passed his FRCS in 1964. He moved to the Bristol area and became senior house officer in general and orthopaedic surgery to the Bristol Royal Infirmary and then surgical registrar to the Bath clinical area. He moved to Canada and practic

George Birbara was a general surgeon in Leeton, New South Wales. He was born in Sydney on 16 August 1928. His parents, Anis, a tailor, and Amanda (née Diab) had emigrated from Lebanon. George went to Sydney Boys’ High School and Sydney University. After house appointments, he went to England in 19

Feroz Shah was a consultant general surgeon in Pakistan. He was born in Peshawar in 1927 and studied medicine at King Edward’s Medical College, Lahore. He went to England to specialise in surgery, working as a house surgeon in Croydon and a registrar at the Lambeth Hospital while he studied for the

Reza Larizadeh was born on 28 August 1934 in Ahraz, Southern Iran. He came to England and studied at the Edgbaston School of Science and the University of Wales. In 1958 he took the Conjoint Diploma and the MB BCh and the FRCS in 1962. Before returning to Iran he held appointments at Cardiff, Sheffi

David Negus was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at Lewisham Hospital, London, and a pioneer in the newly emerging sub-specialty of phlebology. He was born on 11 August 1930 in London, the son of a distinguished otolaryngologist, Sir Victor Ewings Negus, and his wife, Winifred Negus née Ren

Barrington Sherwood Mather, known as 'Barrie', was a surgeon in Cairns and Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Birmingham on 15 February 1932, the eldest of three children of Cecil Aubrey Mather, a general practitioner, and Dorothy Collins Mather née Guest. His brother John also became a doctor and

John Gowan Gray, known as ‘Ian’, was a consultant surgeon at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Stoke-on-Trent, and the Leek Memorial Hospital. He was born in Dalkeith, Midlothian, and qualified at Edinburgh, where he completed junior house posts. During the Korean War he served his National S

John Ball was a true general surgeon, having spent his entire consultant career in practice on the isolated Scottish island of Skye, where he established a first-class surgical reputation, as well as becoming a much loved and hugely respected local figure. His reputation on the island was such that

Joe Magri was a consultant urologist at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford. He was born in Valletta, Malta, on 2 March 1926, the son of Francesca and Tancred Magri. He was educated at the Jesuit College and Malta University, where he qualified in 1949. He then moved to England to specialise in surgery.

Dennis Bonham was head of the postgraduate school of obstetrics and gynaecology at the National Women’s Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. He was born in London on 23 September 1924, the son of Alfred John Bonham, a chemist, and Dorothy Alice Bonham, a pharmacist. He was educated at King Edward VI Sch

David Bower was a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at St Stephen's Hospital, Chelsea, later amalgamated into Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He was born on 1 July 1929 in northwest London, the eldest son of Bartlett St George Bower, a successful lawyer, and Vera Bower née Luson. He went t