Donald McGavin was a general surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He was born on 23 September 1906 in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of Mary Allan née Chapple and Major General Sir Donald Johnstone McGavin, FRCS, who had been director general of the New Zealand Army Medical Services at the end of

John Allison Strachan Marr was born in Knysna and was educated at Rondebosch Boys' High School. His father was the first doctor at Knysna. He graduated in medicine at the University of Cape Town and spent four years in postgraduate training in England, obtaining the Conjoint Board Diploma in 1933, a

Born in 1906 (his father's name was Herten), he was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and at the London Hospital. He served as resident medical officer at Poplar Hospital, and subsequently settled in Buenos Aires, where he became surgeon to the British Hospital. He died at Buenos Aires, of a cardia

David Rowlands studied medicine at University College Hospital and qualified with the conjoint diploma in 1933. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Europe throughout the second world war and then embarked on a long career in the Taunton area. He was on the staff of Taunton and Somerset H

Richard Sampson (Dick) Handley was born in London on 2 May 1909, the eldest son of William Sampson Handley and Muriel Rigby, the daughter of the Reverend Clayton Rigby. Dick's father was on the surgical staff of the Middlesex Hospital, a member of both the Council and Court of Examiners of the Colle

George Cuthbert Dewe Roberts was born in Plymouth on 20 August 1909. He was the son of George Augustus Roberts and his wife Florence Muriel, née Mills. His father was at that time honorary surgeon to the Royal Hospital, Devonport, before moving to Winchester where he was appointed to the Royal Hamps

David Owen Davies was a consultant surgeon to the Epsom group of hospitals. He was born in Hampstead, London, on 17 June 1909. His father, Frederick Moses Davies, was a bank official. His mother was Amy Maude Mary Flanders. Educated at St Olave's Grammar School, Tower Bridge, he went to St Bartholom

Gerald De Lacey was born 2 December 1910 at Dowlais in South Wales and did his preclinical studies at the University of Wales, going to the London Hospital in 1930. He was surgical dresser to Sir Henry Souttar, Alan Perry, Russell Howard and George Neligan, and clinical clerk to Sir John Parkinson a

Francis William Shepherd, who was born in Nottingham on 6 December 1906, grew up in Castletown, Isle of Man. With a London BSc he studied medicine at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital. After holding posts in Hampstead and Ilford he was appointed RSO at Huddersfield in 1938 and, it is said, ser

Philip Ghey was born of a Quaker background in Plymouth in 1909, and was educated at Kelly College in Tavistock, Devon, and St John's College, Cambridge. He completed his medical education at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he qualified in 1933, but he had already passed his Primary FRCS as a third

Cyril Fletcher ('Peter') Critchley was born on 7 July 1909 in Dulwich, south London, the son of James Critchley, a barrister, and his wife Margaret, née Fletcher. He was educated at Dulwich College and St Thomas's Hospital, and qualified in 1934. As a student, he fenced for London University. His

'Uncle' Tom Griffin was born in Alton where his father, Thomas Noel, was a vicar. His mother was Mary née Rose. He studied medicine at St Mary's, where he qualified in 1934. After junior posts, he specialised in surgery and was appointed honorary assistant surgeon to Scarborough Hospital in 1939. On