Philip Rhodes was born in Sheffield on 2 May 1922, the only son of Sydney Rhodes, an iron and steel merchant. His mother, Harriet May née Denniff, was the daughter of a butcher and farmer. He was educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield, and Clare College, Cambridge, from which he went on to St

Arthur Bates was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Northampton. Born on 10 December 1923 he was the son of Arthur Bates, a master engineer, and his wife Florence May née Potter. After studying medicine at Cambridge University he was appointed house surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital a

David Michael Stern was born in Burton-on-Trent on 22 October 1903. His father was Arthur Landauer Stern, a chemist and brewer, his mother, Grace Madelein née Falck. He was educated at first at the Burton Grammar School, and then went with his younger brother to Clifton College, from which he won an

Wellege Hemachandra Fernando was an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Born on 1 July 1958 in Pussellawa, Ceylon, he was the second child of Wellege Simon Fernando, a medical practitioner employed by the Ceylonese Department of Health and his wife Adeline Grace née Da Silva. He wa

Kathleen Robinson was noted for her serenity, warm charm, wisdom and skill. These characteristics must have been largely inherited, but were nurtured in a happy family life that started on 25 May 1911 in Eccles, near Manchester. She was the third of five children, her father being a professional eng

Peter Sherratt Watson was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in the Hertfordshire area. He was born in Leicester on 6 May 1925. His father, John Robert Watson, was an accountant and his mother, Nellie Evelyn née Sherratt, a secretary. At Wyggeston Grammar School, Leicester, he was captain o

The only son of Henry Kenneth Victor Soltau MD, David Soltau was born in Barnstaple, North Devon, on 13 May 1920. His mother was Nora Ramscar née Wright, the daughter of a chartered accountant. He was educated at Epsom College and Queen's College, Cambridge, before going on to Bristol to do his clin

John Samuel William Chambers was born in Southampton on 1 July 1926, the son of Samuel Bacon Chambers and his wife Mary Ann née Carey. He studied medicine at Cambridge University and trained at University College Hospital, London. After house jobs at St James’ Hospital, Balham and serving as a tempo

Born in Cape Town on 12 February 1911, the son of James Stokes Loxton, a pharmacist, and Marion, née Mitchell, Loxton was sent home to join his brother at Clifton College, where he won the Miriam Badock scholarship in science to Bristol University to study medicine. There he won the committee's gold

Wilfred George Mills was born in Birmingham on 20 August 1915, the son of George Percival Mills, FRCS (see *Lives* 1952-64, pages 289-290). One uncle, Humphrey Humphreys was Professor of Dental Surgery in Birmingham; another uncle, Seymour Barling was Professor of Surgery in Birmingham and his elder

Robert Clarendon Percival was born at Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, on 16 September 1908, the fifth son and seventh of the eight children of William Percival, a farmer, and of Blanche Hilda Leontina, née Wikner, the daughter of a civil engineer. He was educated at Richmond Private Grammar Sc

Jill Evans was born in London on 20 November 1929, the daughter of Donald Evans, an insurance officer and antiquarian bookseller, and Margaret, née Thompson. She was educated in Devon, and later at Brentwood High School, from where she obtained a scholarship to Girton College Cambridge. She later un