John Howell Hughes was born on 25 October 1908, in Liverpool, to John Hughes, a builder, and Anne Ellen, née Williams. He was educated at Liverpool Collegiate School, where he was captain of rugby, and went on to study medicine at Liverpool University. After qualifying, he was house surgeon and hous

Harry McGladdery was born on 9 September 1911 in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, to Kevin McGladdery, a farmer and landowner, and Margaret Wilson, a schoolteacher. He was educated at Walthamstow Technical College and Sir George Monoux School, before entering St Bartholomew's Hospital, one of

Born on 5 October 1910 in Lanchowfu, Kansu Province, China, he was the elder son of Albert Penard Laycock, a medical missionary and Winifred, née Hingston. He was educated at St Paul's School, West Kensington, where he was a Scholar. He gained scholarships to St John's College, Cambridge and to St T

Arthur Hughes was born at Oswestry in Shropshire on 3 December 1910, the son of the Reverend Hywel Hughes, a Welsh Presbyterian minister, and his wife Myfanwy; he was a twin and his brother John also became a minister in their father's church. His schooling was rather peripatetic because of his pare

Born in Eastbourne on 27 September 1908 to D G Gilbert, Headmaster of Roborough School, Eastbourne, Gilbert attended his father's school and then went to St Bartholomew's Hospital where he qualified with the conjoint examination in 1932 and became house surgeon to Girling Ball and Blundell Bankart.

Arthur Sangster was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, the son of Herbert, a lawyer. He was at school at King's College in Windsor before entering Ashby College in Ottawa, and then on to his medical training at Dalhousie University. His early surgical experience was at the Victoria General Hospital in Ha

Stafford George Mayer was a surgeon in Durban, South Africa. He studied medicine at Cambridge University and the London Hospital Medical School, and qualified MRCS LRCP in 1934 and, three years later, gained his MB BChir and his FRCS. He was a house surgeon at King George Hospital, Ilford, and at

Geoffrey Myers was born on 24 January 1908. He passed the FRCS in 1937 and, during the second world war served with both the RAMC and the NZMC. He spent his career in general surgery working for such organisations as the United Fruit Company Inc. and the North and West Africa Socony Mobil Oil Compan

Kenneth George Frederick Mackenzie was a general surgeon at Shotley Bridge Hospital, County Durham. Born on 20 June 1911 in Brookwood, Surrey, he was the only son of John Mackenzie, a colonel in the RAMC and his wife Hilda Constance née Johnston. After attending Arnold House, a preparatory school in

'Tim' Merrington was an accomplished surgeon whose career was blighted but whose spirit was undimmed by multiple sclerosis. Within four years of becoming consultant surgeon to University College Hospital, an appointment for which his earlier achievements had long marked him out, he developed the fir

Thomas Ackland was a general surgeon in Melbourne who introduced mammography into Australia. He was born in Melbourne on 8 September 1908, the son of William Ackland, an engineer, and Blanche Glana née Rye, the daughter of a veterinary surgeon. He was educated at Spring Road State School and then wo

Robert Gerrett Reid, the son of the Rev Dr James Reid, DD, a Presbyterian Minister and well-known preacher, and of Isa Reid (née Gerrett), a school mistress, was born at Oban, Scotland, on 21 September 1909. He was educated at Roborough School, Eastbourne, the Leys School, Cambridge, and Guy's Hospi