Humphrey Arthure was born in Tibberton, Worcestershire, on 27 January 1906, the son of Harry Edgar Erskine Arthure, Vicar of Mickleton, Gloucestershire, and Maud Mary, née Donnison, whose father was first Notary Public of the City of London. He was educated at Hillstone Preparatory School, Malvern a

John Tomkinson was born in Stafford on 8 December 1916, the son of Harry Stanley Tomkinson, a company director, and his wife Kate Mills, née Cliff. He was educated at Rydal School and the University of Birmingham, where he qualified in 1941 with medals in surgery and ophthalmology. He joined the nav

Carlton Oswald Fung-Kee-Fung was an obsteric surgeon in Trinidad and Tobago. Born in 1920, he was the eldest of the four children of a second generation Chinese family who ran a liquor shop in what was then known as British Guiana. In 1939 he travelled to the UK and arrived in London just before the

Harold Goodwin was born on 5 June 1910, the son of Barnet and Rebecca Goodwin. He studied medicine at University College and St Bartholomew’s. He served in the RAMC throughout the war and on demobilisation specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology, being registrar, RMO and subsequently senior regist

James Scott was professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Leeds University. He was born in Glasgow on 18 April 1924, the elder son of Angus McAlpine Scott and Margaret Scott. He was educated at Glasgow Academy and then studied medicine at Glasgow University, gaining his obstetric experience at the

George Jonas was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Hillingdon Hospital. He was born in Berlin in 1924, and qualified from the Middlesex Hospital in 1947. After National Service and training posts in London and Liverpool, he was appointed to Hillingdon in 1964. He played an importa

Sir John Peel was perhaps the most celebrated obstetrician and gynaecologist of his era. Born in Bradford on 10 December 1904, he was the son of the Rev J E Peel. From Manchester Grammar School he went to Queen’s College, Oxford, going on to his clinical studies at King’s College Hospital where, aft

George Pinker, Surgeon-Gynaecologist to the Queen from 1973 to 1990, was born in Calcutta on 6 December 1924, the son of Ronald Douglas Pinker and Queenie Elizabeth née Dix. Like so many English children in those days, he went to England at the age of four, and was educated at Reading School. He wen

David Bower was a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at St Stephen's Hospital, Chelsea, later amalgamated into Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He was born on 1 July 1929 in northwest London, the eldest son of Bartlett St George Bower, a successful lawyer, and Vera Bower née Luson. He went t

Rees Lloyd-Jones was a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Middlesex Hospital, London. He was born in Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire, north Wales, the only child of Griffith and Marie Lloyd Jones; his father was a farmer and garage owner. They were Welsh speaking and strict Methodists, which

Margaret Witt was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the North Middlesex Hospital, London. She was born on 14 June 1930 in Leyton, London, the oldest daughter of Henry Witt, a chauffeur, and Bertha, a lady’s companion until she married. Margaret won a state scholarship to Walthamstow Cou

Christie Brown was born on 1 July 1898 and was educated at the Royal Kepier Grammar School and Durham University, where he gained numerous prizes and scholarships. While an undergraduate he served for a few years of the first world war in a destroyer based on Scapa Flow, but returned to the Universi