John McArthur was born in Doncaster in 1911 and was one of three brothers who trained at Guy's Hospital. He graduated in 1934 and after several resident appointments at Guy's, including a house surgeon job with Sir Heneage Ogilvie, he decided on a career in surgery after demonstrating physiology. At

Denys Sambrook did his medical studies at St Thomas's Hospital where he qualified in 1938. After junior posts in orthopaedics he decided to train as a radiotherapist and for a time worked as a consultant in radiation oncology at St John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick, Canada. After being appointed

Noel Pizey was born on 19 December 1922. He trained in medicine at St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified in 1946. After junior posts he specialised in radiotherapy, becoming senior registrar in the department of radiotherapy at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and senior radiotherapy and surgic

Evan Sherrah-Davies went from Cambridge to the Westminster Hospital where he qualified in 1947. After house jobs he did his National Service in the RAF as a surgical specialist. After returning to civilian life he specialised in radiotherapy and became consultant radiotherapist to the Christie Hospi

Margaret Dorothy Snelling was a consultant radiotherapist at Middlesex Hospital and the first female President of the European Association of Radiology. She was born on 20 September 1914, and educated at Wimbledon High School for Girls. She went on to study at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medic

Born in Belfast on 27 December 1907, Gerald was the younger son of William Townsley and Anne, née Boyd. He was educated at Larne Grammar School and Queen's University where he obtained prizes in chemistry and anatomy and proceeded to a BSc degree with honours in anatomy, embryology and physiology in

Evan Sherrah-Davies, who was to make his career in radiotherapy, was born on 8 October 1922 in Rossendale, Lancashire. He was the son of the local general practitioner, also called Evan, who proudly kept a meticulous record of Evan's achievements, and his wife Amelia, née Oakley. After a series of p

David Waldron Smithers was born on 17 January 1908 in Knockholt, Kent, the home of his father Sir Waldron Smithers JP, stockbroker and staunchly Conservative MP, and of his grandfather Sir Alfred Smithers MP, chairman of the Canadian Grand Trunk Railway. A knighthood was clearly an obligatory achiev

Gerald Edward Flatman was director of the Glasgow Institute of Radiotherapy and Oncology, and a consultant radiotherapist at the Western and Royal infirmaries, Stobhill Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Glasgow Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital. He was also an honorary lecturer in radio

Helen Soteriou neé Mellor was a clinical oncologist at St Luke's Hospital, Guildford, and Nicosia General Hospital, Cyprus. She was born in Liverpool on 11 April 1920, the daughter of Stanley Alfred Mellor, a Unitarian minister, who died when she was just four years old, and Anita Mellor née Thomson

Julian Bloom was born in Sheffield on 30 June 1923 and moved to London at the age of seven where he was educated at the Fleet School, Kilburn, and the Regent Street Polytechnic. In 1942 he entered Middlesex Hospital Medical School and in 1946 was student house surgeon to Lord Webb-Johnson, Sir Eric

Irene Margaret Stanford McEwan née Cade was a consultant radiologist in Portsmouth. She was born in London on 15 January 1925, the second daughter of Sir Stanford Cade, the surgeon, and Margaret Hester née Agate, the daughter of the organist at Paisley Abbey. Irene was educated at Queen's College, H