Denis Westgarth Lacey was born on 14 March 1914. He was educated at the Perse School, Cambridge, and St Edward's School, Oxford, before proceeding to the Middlesex Hospital Medical School where he qualified in 1937. He joined the RAMC in 1939, was taken prisoner at the evacuation of Dunkirk and rema

Athol George Riddell was born in Whitstable on 31 January 1917. He was educated at Folkestone and University College, London, where he gained the Gold Medal in physiology, graduating from University College Hospital Medical School in 1939. After holding a resident surgical post on the Professorial U

Peter Rees-Davies was born on 23 February 1913 at Long Ditton, Surrey, the son of John Rees-Davies, a general practitioner, and his wife Grace, née Etheredge. He was educated at Epsom College, and then received his medical education at the London Hospital, as had his father before him. In the sec

Personal charm and a laid back imperturbability, allied to unquestionable surgical competence enabled David Bain to build a busy and well-respected practice in Windsor and Eton, including both the Castle and the College. He was born in London on 30 June 1915, the son of a consultant civil engineer,

Born on 2 March 1914, Thomas Fenwick was the son of William Stephen Fenwick FRCS of Charing Cross Hospital. He was educated at Sherborne, and then went on to study at Cambridge and St Thomas's Hospital, representing each of these institutions at rugby and cricket. He did house jobs at St Thomas's, b

Anthony ('Tony') Harding Rains was the first holder of the chair of surgery at Charing Cross Hospital, an authority on diseases of the biliary system, but arguably best known for his longstanding editorship of *Bailey and Love's short practice of surgery* (London, H K Lewis). Tony was the tenth c

Arthur Ellerker received his medical education at Guy's Hospital Medical School, qualifying with both the Conjoint diploma and the London MB BS in 1943. After house posts at Guy's he became clinical assistant at St Peter's Hospital for the Stone and surgical registrar at the Royal Free Hospital befo

John Talbot was a popular and highly regarded graduate of St Mary's Hospital Medical School and surgeon at Harold Wood Hospital. Born on 12 August 1912 in Wales, he was educated at Llandovery College. Like others at Mary's he had played rugby as a schoolboy for Wales. He was in the legendary pre-sec

Charles Gordon Scorer was born in Lincoln on 4 September 1912, the fourth child and first son of Charles Reynolds Scorer, a solicitor. He was educated at Seacroft Preparatory School, Skegness, Repton School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He qualified from the London Hospital in 1937, being appoint

Bruce Pender was born in Bombay on 9 September 1921, the son of George T Pender, general manager for the British American Tobacco Company. He was educated at Mount House Preparatory School and Marlborough College before entering St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. After qualifying in 1944 he served

John Henry Charles Phillips was born in Hampstead, London, on 24 April 1917, the son of Samuel Phillips, an import and export businessman, and his wife Elise. He was educated at Heathmount School, Hampstead, and Hillsbrow School, Redhill, before going to the Leys School, Cambridge. His medical studi

Peter Blaxland was very much a family man, with a warm and welcoming manner and an appreciation of the simple pleasures of life. These characteristics concealed a considerable intellectual ability, and gave no hint of his understanding of the problems of surgery, and his gifts, both innate and culti