Michael Bates, the second son and youngest of three children of Tom Bates, a surgeon, was born in Worcester in July 1917. There were strong surgical roots in the family, his father being surgeon to the Worcester Royal Infirmary for 34 years, while his paternal grandfather - another Tom Bates - and a

Philip Golding-Wood was a consultant otorhinolaryngologist in Maidstone, Kent. He was born on 3 May 1914, the son of Benjamin and Bessie Wood in Speldhurst. His father was a general storekeeper. His mother's maiden name was Golding, and in 1953 he added his mother's name to his surname by deed poll.

Andrew Raffle, former chief medical officer of London Transport Executive, was an expert on medical standards for driving. He was born on 3 September 1918 in Newcastle upon Tyne, where his father, Andrew Banks Raffle, a barrister and a doctor, was medical officer for health for South Shields (he was

Raoul Sandon was a leading plastic surgeon in London. He was born in Spain, in Bilbao, on 2 May 1915, the son of an English managing director of an iron mining company, and a French mother. He was first educated in Spain, and then attended school in Arcachon and Pau, France. As a result he was fluen

Bob Zachary was a pioneer of paediatric surgery in the United Kingdom. He was born in Pudsey, near Leeds, on 1 March 1913, the son of Samuel John Zachary, a dentist, and Priscilla Mary née Owen. After a degree in pharmacy, he turned his attention to medicine, entering the medical school at Leeds and

Murray Pheils was professor of surgery at the University of Sydney. He was born in Birmingham on 2 December 1917, the younger of the two sons of Elmer Theodore Pheils, an osteopath, and Lilian Mary née Cole. His father Elmer was a colourful character: he was born in Toledo, Ohio, and trained as an o

Sir Douglas Ranger was a distinguished otolaryngologist and a fine medical administrator. He was born in Dalton in Furness, Lancashire, on 5 October 1916, the second son of William Ranger and Hatton Thomasina Grigg. His father was, in turn, a schoolmaster, an army officer, and latterly a businessman