John Maxwell was born in 1895 at Brooklands, Wairuna, South Otago, New Zealand. His father John Clarke was a farmer, and his mother was Elizabeth Ann Irvine. He went to Otago Boys High School, Dunedin and to Otago University where he qualified in 1920, achieving distinction in obstetrics and gynaeco

Born on 18 August 1896 at Windsor, Nova Scotia, son of Aaron Grindon Blauvelt, a manufacturer, and his wife Margaret Chisholm. He was in San Francisco at the time of the great earthquake and fire of 1906, but returned safe to Nova Scotia, and was educated at Dalhousie University. As a medical studen

Arnold Guy Harsant was born in London on 16 November 1893 and educated at St Paul's School, Kensington. He gained a scholarship to the London Hospital, qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1916, and that year was granted a regular commission in the RAMC. He served in the Salonika Campaign from 191

Ralph Marnham was born in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 7 June 1901, the eldest son of Arthur Marnham, a farmer, and Janet (née Micklem) the daughter of a farmer. He was educated at Diocesan College, Rondebosch and on coming to England, at Caius College, Cambridge and St George's Hospital, London, q

James Rudd Ratcliffe was born on 5 October 1899 in the Cape Province, South Africa, the son of a stock farmer who was killed in the Boer war within a few months of his birth. His mother was distinguished for her bravery in nursing the wounded during the siege of Ladysmith. He went to school in South

Frederick Herman Aitken Walker, the only child of Frederick, a cotton manufacturer, and of Edith Walker, was born on 1 July 1900 at Clayton Le Moors, Lancashire. He was educated at Calday Grange School, West Kirby, Cheshire, and, after one year as a medical student at Liverpool University he moved t

Alfred Charles Fisher was born on 26 June 1905 in Lurgan, Co Armagh. Both his father and uncle were physicians. When five months old he went with his parents to Northern Rhodesia; en route he was carried over the girders of the uncompleted Victoria Falls bridge before the roadway was put on. He was

Robin Pilcher was born on 22 June 1902 in Northwood, Middlesex, into a family without medical connections, although his younger brother Michael was to follow him into surgery. His father was Thorold Sturtevant Pilcher and his mother Helena, née Neilson. He was a scholar at St Paul's School and a pri

Henry Hamilton Stewart was born on 23 August 1904, the son of H A Stewart, a practitioner at Thornton, Bradford. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School, King's College Cambridge and St Thomas's Hospital. At Cambridge he was placed in the first class in the Natural Sciences Tripos of 1925. At St

Louis Amos Bennett was born in Nelson, New Zealand, on 16 October 1896. His father was John Bennett, farmer and storekeeper and his mother was Annie, née Ryde. He was educated at Central School, Nelson and Nelson College where he was awarded the junior and senior national scholarships and the Fell S

James Cosbie Ross was born in Liverpool on 17 May 1904. He was the son and grandson of doctors, his father being James Ross, a general practitioner in Walton, Liverpool. His mother was Delia Cosbie and James, as the eldest child, took the name of Cosbie. James used this name and linked Ross as 'Cobb

Born on 8 February 1891 in the Military Cantonments at Bangalore, Dick Rishworth was the son of an officer in the British Army in India: his mother was the daughter of a major in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps and his great grandfather was an Assistant Surgeon of the East India Company. After educat