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

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

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

Pritam Singh was chief medical officer, director of health services and deputy secretary of health to the Punjab government in India. He was born in Patiala, India, on 9 January 1920. His father, Harcharan Singh Seraph, was an architect who had worked with Lutyens on the building of New Delhi. His m

Keith Lothian was a general surgeon in Birkenhead. He was born in 1919 in Dunedin, New Zealand, and raised in the city. He studied medicine at Otago University, qualifying in 1943. He then joined the New Zealand Medical Corps, becoming a captain. In 1947 he worked his passage to the UK as a ship's

Desmond Laurence Bond Farley was a consultant surgeon at the Royal North, Highlands General, Wood Green and Southgate hospitals, London. He was born in London on 30 January 1921, the son of Laurence George Farley of the Indian Army, and Isabelle Beatrice Farley née Bond. He was educated at the Pilgr

Nowell Peach was a GP surgeon in Horsham, Sussex. He was born in Bristol on 30 June 1913, the son of Alec Hamilton Peach, an insurance agent, and Madeleine Lucy Pugh Peach née White. He was educated at Clifton College and went on to study medicine at the University of Bristol's medical school, quali

Owen Daniel was a consultant general surgeon for the Clwyd and Deeside Health Board, Wales. He was born in Ystradgynlais, Breconshire, on 19 February 1917, the third child of David Daniel, a mining engineer and colliery manager, and his wife, Annie. Brought up in the south Wales valleys, Owen and hi

Paul Large was a general surgeon in Durban, South Africa, and then in Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Beira, Mozambique, on 12 August 1920, but was brought up in Durban. He was educated at Michaelhouse, a rural boarding school in Natal, and then, in 1938, went to the UK to study medicine at Guy

Charles Burgess, known as Terence, was born in Hoylake, the Wirral, Cheshire, on 10 January 1913, into a medical family. His father, Charles Herbert Burgess, was a general practitioner, as was his grandfather, Robert Burgess. His mother was Meta Jeanette née Leitch. Terence was educated at Haileybur

John Hadfield was an outstanding teacher and ambassador for British surgery. He was born in Long Ashton near Bristol on 19 April 1923. His family hailed from Plymouth. His father, Geoffrey Hadfield, was professor of pathology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and later became the Sir William Collins prof

John Stephens was a general surgeon at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He was born on 29 March 1919 in Northamptonshire, where his father was an engineer with farming interests. Educated at Stowe School, his scholastic achievements were complimented by a flair for sport, particularly rugby. At Gonvill