Stanley Samuel Beare was born on 20 June 1890 at Newton Abbot, Devon, the son of Samuel Beare an ironmonger and engineer, and Alice Austin Beer, whose father was a journalist and Crimean War veteran. He was educated at Newton Abbot Grammar School and Strand School, King's College, London. In 1909 he

Norbert Leo Maxwell Reader was born at Marshfield, Gloucestershire, on 13 October 1885. His father, Jeremiah Reader, was a doctor of medicine. He was educated at Wakefield Grammar School, Stonyhurst and at Leeds University, where he won the anatomy prize. He went from there to Guy's Hospital where h

George Ewart Wilson was born at Atwood, Ontario and graduated with honours from the Stratford Collegiate Institute. He worked for a short time as a teacher, and then entered the Medical School of the University of Toronto in 1899. He graduated in 1903 with honours, winning the silver medal and the G

Edric Frank Wilson was born on 6 September 1898 and did his medical studies at Guy's Hospital, the course being interrupted by naval service as a Surgeon Probationer during the first world war. On demobilization he returned to Guy's and qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1920. He took the FRCS i

Philip Hack, the eldest child of Lewis Joel Hack, a merchant, was born on 25 May 1900 at Saduve, Lithuania. The family soon moved to Irene, Transvaal, South Africa. Philip was educated first at Hope Mill School, Cape Town, and then at Pretoria Boys' High School before entering the University of Cape

Adam Hamilton Harvie was born in 1894 in Middlemarch, Central Otago, the son of a farmer. At the age of 18, he matriculated intending to become a doctor but he served for two years as a private soldier in the Medical Corps in the first world war. He worked to keep himself and eventually qualified MB

Harold Walker was born in 1875, the elder son of Dr Samuel Walker, JP, MRCS, a general practitioner in Middlesbrough. He was educated at Uppingham and King's College, Cambridge, going into residence in 1893, taking an honours BA and being captain of tennis. For his clinical training he went to St Ba

David Matthew Mitchell was born in New Zealand in 1895 and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School and at Otago Medical School. He qualified in 1920 and in 1921 entered general practice. In 1925 he came to Great Britain and obtained the FRCS Edinburgh. In 1929 he returned to England a second tim

Maurice Backwell was born in Hull on 21 January 1900, and educated at The Old College, Windermere, and Charterhouse. Towards the end of the first world war he served for a short time in the East Yorkshire Regiment before starting his medical studies at Leeds University. He graduated MB ChB, in 1925

From Cambridge, Ralph Nottidge did his clinical studies at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he was house physician, surgeon, and surgical registrar. He then worked as a medical officer in the Jane Furse Memorial Hospital in the Transvaal, South Africa, before returning to take up general practice in

Ronald Thomas Todd was the senior surgeon at Ipswich Hospital, Queensland, Australia. He was born in Brisbane on 16 January 1925, the eldest son of Frederick Edmund Todd, an optometrist, and Rose Emma Todd née Thomas, a business secretary. He attended the Church of England Grammar School, Brisbane,

James Warne Ardagh, son of Patrick Augustine Ardagh, CBE, DSO, MC, a surgeon, and Lily Hebe Anderson (née Lowick), was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 5 December 1920. After education at Loreto College and Christ's College, Christchurch, he entered the University of Otago in 1940 and graduated