Raymond Purvis was born in Southampton on 30 December 1904, the second child and younger son of a consultant surgeon, William Prior Purvis, MD, MS, FRCS, and of Dora Raymond, daughter of Walter Raymond, a Somerset author. His paternal grandfather and great grandfather were also medically qualified.

Hermon Taylor was born in Workington on the Cumbrian coast on 11 May 1905. His father, Enoch Oliver Taylor, was a schoolmaster and his mother, Louise née Harrison, a schoolmistress. His father came to London to become Director of Education for Edmonton and Hermon was educated at Latymer School, from

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 16 November 1903, Max Ernst studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he completed house jobs and then spent a period at sea as a ship's doctor. He then settled down in Romford as a general practitioner-surgeon. At the outbreak of war he was rejected for military service because o

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

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

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

Derek Bown trained for the Conjoint Diploma at Guy's Hospital and became a Fellow of the College in 1930. He held posts at the Taunton and Somerset Hospital and the Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital and was medical officer for Reckitt's Convalescent Home in Essex. He became honorary surg

Born in Dublin on 5 November 1897, the daughter of John Sandes of Greenville, Listowel, Co Kerry, she was educated at Wimbledon High School and the London School of Medicine for Women, since 1947 the Royal Free Hospital Medical School. Her interest in medicine was aroused during her school days by E

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

Donald Barlow was born on 4 July 1905 in Leytonstone, son of Leonard Barlow, an electrical engineer, and Katherine Monteagle. His eldest brother Leonard was killed at the age of 18 after winning the MC with two bars in the Royal Flying Corps; the second became FRS and a professor at University Colle

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