James Llewellin Digby Roberts was born on 15 July 1912 at Kalimpong, India, where his father was a medical missionary. His early years were spent in India, where a favourite family pastime was butterfly hunting on horseback: the superb family collection, which his father initiated, was to become a l

Jack Hesketh Beasley was born in Toronto, Canada on 31 March 1899. He qualified in Canada and came to England, obtaining the FRCS while at the London Hospital. He practised in Blackpool as a surgeon until 1939 when he joined the RAMC and went to France as a surgical specialist with No 4 General Hosp

Ernest Lewis graduated at the University of Witwatersrand in 1953 and served his residencies in the Johannesburg Teaching Group of Hospitals. He subsequently worked at the Doctors' Hospital in New York, the Birmingham Accident Hospital and the University of Bristol. Obtaining his FRCS he returned to

Reginald (Rex) Salisbury Woods was born in Dulwich on 15 October 1891, the son of Henry Thomas Woods. His mother, Lilian, was the sister of Frank Salisbury CVO, LLD, the portrait painter. He entered Dulwich College in 1906 at the age of fourteen and in his last year was senior school prefect as well

Alan Mathams was a general practitioner in East Sussex. He did his medical training at the Westminster Hospital, where he qualified in 1977. After junior posts, he chose a career in surgery and was registrar at St James Hospital, Balham, and Epsom District Hospital. He decided to become a GP, joinin

Richard Sutcliffe was born on 26 April 1904 in Boston, Lincolnshire, the second son of John Bell Sutcliffe, a shipowner and broker. He was educated at Kirton Grammar School in Lincolnshire and Panel Ash College, Yorkshire, before going to Sedbergh, from where he gained entry to St John's College, Ca

Ronald George Gibson, the only child of George Edward Gibson, a pharmacist, and of Gladys Muriel (née Prince), was born at Southampton on 28 November 1909. He was educated at Osborne House School, Romsey, and Mill Hill School before graduating from St John's College, Cambridge. He then went to St Ba

Richard Roberts (Roy) was born in Holywell in 1920. After school in North Wales he studied at the Liverpool University Medical School graduating in 1942. He played an active part in the Medical Student Society and was an excellent speaker at meetings. He decided on a career in surgery and took the p

John Daniel Henry Bird was born in Longcot, Berkshire on 4 August 1908. His father, Daniel Henry, was a schoolmaster. He was educated at Ranelagh School, Bracknell, where he won a scholarship to King's College Hospital Medical School where he had a notable academic career. He gained a BSc in physiol

Graham Allwright was a general practitioner in Formby, Merseyside. He was born on 9 July 1953 in Shoreham, Sussex, where his father, Fred, was a civil servant. He attended a number of schools as his father was posted abroad, ending at Sutton High School. He studied medicine at the London Hospital, w

Lionel Canaan was born in England where he received his medical education before travelling to the United States. He finally settled into practice in Massapequa Park where he was much respected as a family doctor and it was said of him that he "always kept his fees as low as possible". He wrote shor

Peter Broadhead Lacy was born in New Malden, Surrey, on 11 November 1923, the son of Ernest Lacy, a pharmacist, and his wife Alice Mildred, née Broadhead. He was educated at Ewell Castle School and Surbiton County School before being awarded a scholarship to Manchester University to read medicine. H