Maurice James Bennett-Jones was born in Liverpool on 30 November 1906, his father was William James Bennett-Jones, consultant anaesthetist to Liverpool Royal Infirmary and his mother was Dr Daly - a Doctor of Medicine and a JP. He was educated at Rossall School, Fleetwood, and Liverpool University w

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.

Frederic Bentley was born in 1905, the son of Frederic Bentley, JP, and Laura Evelyn. He was educated at Bolton and at Manchester University, enjoying his postgraduate training in the city and becoming chief assistant and tutor. He was also resident surgical officer at St Mark's Hospital, London, an

Oswald Vaughan Lloyd-Davies was born at Chariton, Kent on 13 January 1905, the son of Rev Samuel Lloyd-Davies BA, a congregational minister, and Anna Marguerita, née Evans. He was educated at Caterham School where he secured the Honoratus Prize before entering the Middlesex Hospital Medical School f

Andrew Roy Banham was the only son of Sydney Marshall Banham, a general practitioner, and of Sophie Grace Banham (née Hacking) herself a medical practitioner who practised ophthalmology. He was born in Ealing on 15 October 1904. After early education at Yardley Court, Tonbridge, he secured an open s

Arthur Williams was born on 31 December 1905 in Swansea, the son of David Edward Williams, a schoolmaster, and Katherine Hannah, née Humphries. He attended Swansea Grammar School and Swansea University College as a scholar, before going on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff. He chos

David Clowes Williams was born in Tarbach, Port Talbot, the son of John Ffoulkes Williams and his wife Elizabeth, née Thomas. He attended the University of Wales in Cardiff and the Welsh National School of Medicine, where he was influenced by the teaching of Professor Grey Turner. He qualified MB BC

John Charles Nicholson was born at Chilworth, Surrey, on 10 January 1904, the son of Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson, the church architect, from whom he inherited the baronetcy in 1949, and the grandson of Sir Charles Nicholson, DCL, LLD, MD, one of the founders of Sydney University and its first Ch

Francis Arthur d'Abreu, always known as Frank, was born in Handsworth, Staffordshire, on 1 October 1904, the second son of Dr John d'Abreu, a medical practitioner, and Teresa Noonan. He came from a large family of twelve children; his younger brother, Professor A d'Abreu FRCS, was also a surgeon.

George Hollis was born on 11 June 1904 in Durban, the son of John George Hollis, a building contractor, and Ethel, née Shirley a printer's daughter. He was educated at Durban High School and Natal University, then came to Guy's Hospital Medical School to study dentistry, qualifying LDSRCS in 1927, a

Kenneth Leslie James was born on 15 July 1906 in Burton-on-Trent, the son of Joseph Henry James, MA, LIB, BD, who had given up the law to become a Methodist Minister, and his wife Minnie, née Longley. His early education was at the Burnley Grammar School but due to the peripatetic nature of his f

Born on 25 June 1902, son of John Forrester Wood FRCS of Southport, he wished to make the army his career but the loss of sight in one eye at the age of 12 prevented this. Educated at Cheltenham College he was apprenticed at 16 to a firm of engineers, but owing to the world depression his father adv