Richard Hood Metcalfe was born at York on 16 September 1899, his father and mother both being doctors. He first went to school at St Olave's and later to St Peter's School, York, and in 1918 passed into Woolwich where he studied for a year, but in 1919 returned to York to complete his preparation fo

Leonard Charles Lancaster was born in Brockley, South-East London, on March 10, 1902. He was a scholar at Aske's School, Hatcham, obtained a scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge, and a further scholarship to St George's Hospital in London where he won the Allingham Prize. After house appointmen

George William Black was born in Boston, Lincolnshire on 21 January 1903 and was educated at Boston Grammar School and at the Middlesex Hospital, qualifying in 1926. During his early years in London he became very conscious of the divisions in English life, joining the Fabian Society and becoming a

John Simpson was born in Maidenhead in 1902, the son of a Colonel. He spent his early years in Reading but went up to St Mary's Hospital Medical School in Paddington for his entire medical education and remained with that hospital throughout his career. He qualified in 1926, immediately worked for t

Frederick Ridley was born in Birmingham, where his father was a schoolteacher. Having graduated BSc at Birmingham in 1922 he took the MB, BS in 1925 and the FRCS in 1928. As a young man he worked with Fleming on lysozyme, and his basic work on purification helped in the subsequent development of pen

Born at Lublin in Poland, he came to England in 1920 and entered the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. After qualifying he took up general practice on his own at the Vale, Highbury NW but, deciding to specialise in ophthalmology, he was admitted a Fellow in 1932 and then worked as a clinical assist

Born on 3 November 1903, the son of Dr H M Wood and Lola Lyon-Campbell, Hubert Lyon-Campbell Wood was educated at Marlborough College and King's College Hospital, London, where he qualified in 1926. In the following year he obtained the MB BS London with honours. His house appointments at King's wer

Gordon Donald Walter Murray was born in Ontario, Canada, on 29 May 1894. He was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Stratford, Ontario, and the University of Toronto. His medical training was interrupted by service in the 26th Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery where he reached the rank of Se

Born on 16 August 1900, eldest son of James Greenwood of Blackburn, he served for two years in the Royal Flying Corps in the first world war. Afterwards he studied pharmacy in Blackburn Technical College, and by means of scholarships he worked his way at St Bartholomew's Hospital to study medicine.

Geoffrey Edward Parker was born on 24 June 1902 and was educated at Windlesham House School, Hove, Marlborough College, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He came to St Thomas's Hospital for his clinical course and qualified with the Conjoint Diploma and the Cambridge MB in 1926. Two years later he took t

Arthur Wallis Kendall, the son of Dr J A Kendall was educated at Barnard Castle School, King's College, London, and King's College Hospital, qualifying in 1926 and graduating MB in 1927 and MS in 1934; he became FRCS in 1931. He held posts as house-surgeon at King's and as surgical registrar at the

Arthur Norman Jones was born on 14 January 1904 in Liverpool, the son of John Lewis Jones, an estate agent, and Catherine Elizabeth, the daughter of a banker. His early education was at the Blundellsands School and Liverpool College, and he went to medical school in Liverpool, graduating MB ChB in 1