Jean Sandel was born towards the end of 1916, her parents' only child, in the small community of Taumarunui, twenty-five miles west of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. She was educated at the Girls' High School, New Plymouth (on the coast, sixty miles west of her home), b

Robert Ellis Gibbins was born in Birmingham on 29 July 1914, the son of David Gibbins, an engineer, and his wife Ethel Emilie, née Rohrbach. He was educated at a number of different schools and at Birmingham University Medical School, where he qualified MB ChB in 1938. After resident jobs at the Que

William Girdwood was born in Johannesburg on 25 May 1913, the son of William, a general practitioner and FRCS Edinburgh. Two uncles and his grandfather were all doctors, training in Edinburgh. After Grey High School, Port Elizabeth, William entered Witwatersrand University and won the South African

John Roland Grimoldby was born in Sheffield on 2 April 1912, the son of Edward John Grimoldby, a gentleman's outfitter, and Edith (née Woodcock). He was educated at Barnsley and District Holgate Grammar School and the University of Sheffield. He graduated BSc with first class honours in 1933 before

Ernest Thom McCartney was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, the son of Robert McCartney, a chemist, and his wife, Kathleen, née Thom. He was educated at Coleraine Institute and Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied medicine. He went on to training posts at Victoria Central Hospital, Wallasey,

Eric Musard Nanson was born in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand, on 4 January 1915, the youngest of five children of Gerald Bouchier Nanson, an Anglican vicar and Gertrude Florence (née Bell). His early education was at the Cathedral Grammar School, Christchurch and at Christ's College, Chri

Ernest Wells Grahame came from South-West Scotland graduating in Glasgow in 1926. After a short spell in general practice, he decided to concentrate on surgery. He became surgeon and medical superintendent to Middlesborough General Hospital in 1947 where he worked for the rest of his career. The war

John Herdman was born on 15 December 1921. He studied medicine at Oxford, qualifying in 1945. He completed house jobs at the United Oxford Hospitals and at Ancoats, Manchester, from which he passed the FRCS. He then returned to the Nuffield Institute for Medical Research for two years, before underg

Austin Marsden was a consultant surgeon in Ormskirk and St Helens. He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, on Christmas Day 1919, the third son of George Marsden, a shoe merchant, and Agnes née Liptrot. He was educated at St Helens Catholic Grammar School, from which he went on to read medicine at Liv

Leslie Peter Clark was born in New Zealand in 1909 and after early education entered Otago Medical School. He qualified in 1914 and two years later came to England where he undertook house officer appointments at All Saints' Hospital and the West London Hospital. At the outbreak of war he was on the

John Bryant Curtis qualified MB BS at Melbourne University in 1939. After two years in junior posts at the Royal Melbourne Hospital he served as a medical officer with the Royal Australasian Air Force from 1943 to 1946 and in the latter year gained the MS from his university. In the following year h

Richard Pomfret Jepson was born in Whalley, Lancashire, on 15 February 1918, the son of Mr W N and Mrs L E Jepson. He was educated at St Mary's Grammar School, Clitheroe, and at Manchester University where he won colours for cricket, soccer and golf. He graduated in 1941 and after early house appoin