Philip Newman was born in Dovercourt, Essex, on 22 June 1911, the son of a civil servant, John Harker Newman, and his wife Violet Grace, née Williams. He was educated at Cranleigh School and at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London University, where he qualified with the conjoint diploma in

Stephen Crabtree's father Ronald Hartley Crabtree was a wool merchant in Wyke, Bradford, where he was born on 27 January 1944. His mother was Annie Victoria née Holmes. He was educated at Denstone College and Selwyn College, Cambridge, from which he went to the Middlesex Hospital for his clinical st

Philip Kerr was born on 22 February 1921, the son of Dugald Kerr, a Scottish civil engineer, and Charlotte Annie, née Tasker. He was educated at Oundle, where he won many prizes, and at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1943 and served as a medical officer in the RAF in Western Eu

William Alan Liddell was born in Herbert, New Zealand, in 1921, the son of a doctor who had graduated in Edinburgh. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School before entering Otago Medical School, from which he graduated in 1945. During his student years he was awarded a blue for tennis and after qualify

Nigel Harris was respected in the orthopaedic world, particularly for his participation in British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) conferences, where his pertinent questions often brought meetings to life. He had outspoken views on medico-social and medico-political issues and wrote many letters to *T

Charles Manning, the son of a dental surgeon, was born in Dublin on 14 August 1918. He came to England at the age of five, was educated at Sherborne School and went to St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, qualifying in 1942. After serving as house surgeon to the ear, nose and throat and to the

Johann Joseph Heinrich Mulnier, known as 'Henri', was an orthopaedic surgeon at St Ann's and North Middlesex hospitals, London. He was born on the island of Mauritius and went by boat to study medicine in England. He started his studies at University College London in 1954 and then at University Col

Robert Sewell was an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Greenwich. He was born in Horwich, Greater Manchester, on 21 September 1920, the son of James Scott Sewell, a general practitioner and a part-time medical officer of health, and Emily Sewell née Patton, a housewife. His elder brother, Thomas Pat

John Fairgrieve was a consultant vascular and general surgeon in Cheltenham who, in his youth, was an outstanding sprinter representing Great Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games and reaching the quarter final in the 200m. Although John was English, being born in London, he had Scottish roots as bot

John Fixsen was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; by the time of his retirement he was unsurpassed as a children's orthopaedic surgeon in the UK and in great demand as a teacher, lecturer and surgeon worldwide. John was brought up in Altrincham and excelled at

Alan Lettin, one of the most distinguished orthopaedic surgeons of his generation, noted for his lifelong devotion to orthopaedic training and his commitment to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, was born in humble circumstances in the East End of London, where his father and mother ran a cor

Sir Rodney Sweetnam was undoubtedly the doyen of orthopaedic surgery of his generation. He had many talents. Foremost, he was a natural surgeon, gifted with great operative dexterity. He was also a pioneer in the research and management of bone tumours, and, thirdly, was an outstanding committee cha