Henry Reynolds Thompson was born in Hampstead, London, on 14 February 1908 the son of Harold Theodore Thompson (1878-1935) MD, FRCP, FRCS, physician to the London Hospital (*Lives of the Fellows*, 1930-1951, p.764) and Elinor, née Waller (whose father was a dental surgeon in Alexandria). He was educ

Bob Wolfe was born in London on 10 October 1907. He came from Eastbourne College to St Thomas's where he qualified in 1932 and where, inspired by his teachers Cyril Nitch and Phillip Mitchiner, he decided on a career of surgery, rather against his father's hopes that they would join in general pract

Wilfred Carlisle Barber was born at Manchester on 2 June 1907. His father was a medical practitioner who graduated MB ChB in Edinburgh in 1899. Barber was educated at Hulme Grammar School, Manchester, and Sutton Valence School, obtaining a leaving exhibition to St John's College, Cambridge. After ga

Herbert Frank McNickle was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 23 August 1907. His father, William McNickle, was the local postmaster. He attended Auckland Grammar School from 1920 to 1924 and the University of Otago Medical School, where he won a gold medal in anatomy, from 1925 to 1930. He becam

Roland Lewis was born in Ystalyfera, near Swansea, on 23 November 1908, the third of five sons. His father, William James, who was from an old Cardiganshire family of farmers, trained in Edinburgh and became a GP and medical officer of health to the rural district of Pontardawe. His mother was Const

Leslie Lauste was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Hove General and the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children in Brighton. Born on 30 March 1908, he was the elder son of the famous French pioneer film cameraman, Emile Lauste, who was awarded the Croix de Guerre

John Robert Blackburne, known as 'Robin', was a consultant surgeon at Hull Royal Infirmary. He was born on 27 August 1909, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, John Devereux Blackburne, was a banker. His mother was Francisca, née Lopez. Robin was sent home to school, at Berkhamstead, from w

Geoffrey Myers was born on 24 January 1908. He passed the FRCS in 1937 and, during the second world war served with both the RAMC and the NZMC. He spent his career in general surgery working for such organisations as the United Fruit Company Inc. and the North and West Africa Socony Mobil Oil Compan

Roy Parkinson was born in 1911 and received his medical education at the London Hospital, whence he qualified with the conjoint diploma in 1932 and with the London MB BS the following year. After qualification he held posts as assistant orthopaedic surgeon at the East Ham Memorial Hospital and as su

William Gordon Gill was born in Reigate on 3 January 1908. He was educated at Kingswood School, Seaford, and Marlborough College, from where he won an exhibition to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. From Cambridge he went to Guy's Hospital where he qualified in 1932; becoming FRCS in 1934 and M

C S Patel was born on 13 October 1905 at rural Palana, went to school there, and afterwards at Baroda and Poona. His medical education was at the Grant Medical College and the JJ group of hospitals in Bombay. He had a brilliant career as a student obtaining 13 prizes, medals and scholarships; he qua

Kenneth Hester was a GP in Hertfordshire, an honorary surgeon at the St Albans and Mid-Herts Hospital, and assisted at Red House Hospital (now Memorial Hospital) in Harpenden. He was born on 27 October 1908 in Catford, London, the only son of William Clement, a schoolmaster, and Ellen Carter née Smi