Maurice Backwell was born in Hull on 21 January 1900, and educated at The Old College, Windermere, and Charterhouse. Towards the end of the first world war he served for a short time in the East Yorkshire Regiment before starting his medical studies at Leeds University. He graduated MB ChB, in 1925

John Bulman was born on 5 March 1911, in Burnopfield, Co Durham, the second child and first son of Harrison Francis Bulman, a mining engineer, and of his wife Norah (née Jones). His uncle was Beresford Jones, FRCS, surgeon to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. After preparatory school in Warwicksh

John (Jack) Trengove Jones was born in Paarl, South Africa, on 20 February 1918, and was educated at Rondebosch Boys' High School and the University of Cape Town. He obtained his MB ChB at the beginning of the second world war, and later served with the South African Medical Corps in Egypt, at Sprin

James McFadzean was born at Colmonell, Ayrshire, on 22 October 1900 and educated at Ayr Academy and Glasgow University, where he graduated MB ChB in 1924. After appointments at the London Hospital he took the FRCS. In 1927 he joined a general practice at Morecambe, Lancashire, and was soon appointed

Neil Mackillop was born of Scottish parents in Karachi in 1920. He was educated at Glasgow High School and the University of Glasgow where he captained the university rugby team. After qualifying in 1943 and one year in resident appointments he joined the Royal Navy for three years and returned to t

Bernard Graham Scholefield was born at Blackheath on 7 May 1899, the only son of Robert Ernest Scholefield, a general practitioner who had held a Radcliffe Travelling Fellowship from Oxford. His mother, Elizabeth Graham (née Marshall), was daughter of a former Vicar of Blackheath and Canon of Roches

James Warne Ardagh, son of Patrick Augustine Ardagh, CBE, DSO, MC, a surgeon, and Lily Hebe Anderson (née Lowick), was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 5 December 1920. After education at Loreto College and Christ's College, Christchurch, he entered the University of Otago in 1940 and graduated

David Barton was born in Adelaide on 20 January 1933, the son of Arthur Augustus Barton, a bank manager and his wife, Ellen. He was at school at Riverton and was awarded the Prince Alfred College Grasby Scholarship before entering the University of Adelaide where he graduated in medicine in 1955. Hi

Cyril Arnold King was born in Oamaru, New Zealand. He had a very distinguished school career, winning a university scholarship in 1912. In the same year he won the Lord Meath Empire Day Cup for an essay, fostering imperial patriotism, open to all secondary school students in the Empire. Making the p

Laurence Edgar Davison was born in London on 4 April 1907, the son of Edgar Knights, a master tailor, and Katherine, née Davison. His early education was at Cheltonia College and later at Dulwich College before entering Middlesex Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1931. During house appointments

Frederick (Fritz) Kohn was born of Jewish parents on 22 May 1892 in Komotau in North West Bohemia, the son of a horse dealer and his early education was at the local gymnasium (grammar school), where he was taught by Cistercian monks. In 1910 he went to Prague for medical studies at the German Karl

Eric Vernon was born on 29 November, 1909, in Marple, Cheshire, the son of Arthur Vernon, furnisher and antique dealer. He was educated at Stockport Secondary School (Hallam Scholar) and Manchester University where he graduated BSc in 1930 and MB, ChB in 1933, winning prizes for pathology and paedia