Douglas MacLeod was born on 9 May 1901. Few families can have devoted so many members to the art of surgery. His great-grandfather, John MacLeod, MD was Surgeon to the Madras Presidency. His grand-father, Alexander Charles MacLeod (1819-1914), father, Charles Edward Alexander MacLeod (1867-1939), an

George Trevor Hankey was born in London on 15 March 1900, the elder son of Trevor Hankey. After education at Oakham School he served in the final years of the war as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery from 1917 to 1919. After demobilisation he entered Guy's Hospital Dental School, qual

James Cosbie Ross was born in Liverpool on 17 May 1904. He was the son and grandson of doctors, his father being James Ross, a general practitioner in Walton, Liverpool. His mother was Delia Cosbie and James, as the eldest child, took the name of Cosbie. James used this name and linked Ross as 'Cobb

James Vincent O'Sullivan was born on 27 November 1899 and educated at University College, Galway, and the London Hospital. He graduated in medicine with first-class honours in 1924 and passed MD with distinction, FRCS, MRCP MAO and FRCOG all within the space of three years. He was attached to more h

George Douglas Robb was born in Auckland on 29 April 1899 and educated at Auckland Grammar School, and Auckland University College and Otago University, graduating BSc and MB ChB in 1922. The following year he went to England and worked for his Fellowship in the company of three other pioneer thorac

Robert Debenham, or 'Deb' as he was universally known, was born in Presteigne, Radnorshire, on 3 January 1902, the son of Horace Alan Debenham, a general practitioner, and his wife Maud Constance, who was the daughter of a GP. After preliminary schooling at Brockhurst he was educated at Malvern Coll

Douglas William Claridge Northfield was born in London in February 1902. He received his medical training at Guy's Hospital, where he also qualified in dentistry. After qualification he did general surgery at Guy's where he was demonstrator in anatomy. He obtained the MB BS (London) with the Gold Me

Eric William Riches, the second child and eldest son of William Riches, a schoolmaster, and of Kate Riches (née Rowbotham), was born on 29 July 1897, at Alford, Lincolnshire. He was educated at St Dunstan's, Alford, and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Alford, before securing an entrance scholarship

Herbert John Seddon was born on 13 July 1903 in Derby, the elder son of John Seddon, who worked in the Union Cold Storage Company, and of Ellen (née Thornton). He spent his childhood in Manchester and was educated at the William Hulme Grammar School from whence he entered St Bartholomew's Hospital M