David Jenkins was born on 29 September 1917, at Llanrhystwd, near Aberystwyth, in Cardiganshire. His father, a language graduate and later HM Inspector of Schools in Wales, was then in the Army and only that month had been promoted Captain and awarded the Military Cross. Following the war the family

John Withycombe was born in Exeter on 11 August 1918. the son of Arthur John Withycombe, a barrister, and his wife Winifred Annie, née Kiddle. He was educated at Sherbome, Pembroke College, Cambridge, and the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, where lie qualified in 1942. After only one house job

Cyril Thomas (Tom) Collins was a consultant surgeon at the Wellington Hospital. Born on 28 April 1915 in Auckland, he was the son of Cyril George Collins and Mary Theresa Collins née O’Connor, the daughter of a building contractor. Both his father and grandfather became the Auditor-General of New Ze

Brian Courtice was a senior consultant surgeon at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Born in Mitchell, Queensland on 13 July 1920, he was the son of Charles Richard Henry Courtice, a textile merchant, and his wife Agnes Louise née Hooper, who was a tailoress. After primary education in Mitchell he attende

Myer Glick was a general surgeon in New South Wales, Australia. Born in Leeds on 8 September 1913, he was the twelfth child and seventh son of Isaac Norman Glick, a businessman, and his wife Rachel née Berk. His father died prematurely while he was still young. His elder brother, Louis, who was the

Evan Griffiths was a consultant surgeon at Bridgend Hospitals, South Wales. He was born into West Wales farming stock on 13 December 1916. His father, Edgar Griffiths, owned and ran a grocery business in Llanelli. His mother was Mary Evans. Early schooling was at Llanelli Grammar School, where he di

Claude Bertram Russell Mann was a general surgeon at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Born in Cairns, Queensland on 30 March 1918, he was the son of Edgar Stanley Mann, an accountant, and his wife Grace Priscilla née Mayers. He was educated at Cairns State School, Eagle Junction (Brisbane) State School

Kenneth Peter Somerville Caldwell was a consultant surgeon in Exeter. He was born in Mussoorie, India, on 1 October 1914, the son of Kenneth Somerville Caldwell, a professor of chemistry, and Gertrude Elizabeth Caldwell née Sailman. He was educated at Stoneygate School, Leicester, and then Charterho

Born on 2 December 1919 at Rhos, a village near Wrexham, North Wales, John Lloyd Davies was the son of a general practitioner surgeon at Wrexham Hospital, and grandson of a general practitioner. Educated at Epsom College, he obtained a scholarship to St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1937, where he quali

Thomas Gordon Evans Loosemore was born in Caerphilly on 23 June 1918. He was educated at Plymouth College, St John's College, Cambridge, and St Bartholomew's Hospital. He graduated MB BCh in 1943 and MA in 1943. He obtained the MRCS, LRCP in 1943, the FRCS in 1948 and the MCh in 1951. During the sec

Peter Blaxland was very much a family man, with a warm and welcoming manner and an appreciation of the simple pleasures of life. These characteristics concealed a considerable intellectual ability, and gave no hint of his understanding of the problems of surgery, and his gifts, both innate and culti

Richard Ticehurst was a consultant general surgeon and urologist in Hastings, Sussex. He was born on 3 November 1917 into an old medical Sussex family renowned for its expertise in English wildlife, his father having written the seminal work on swans. He had an older brother, Hugh, who became a loca