Arthur Rushforth was born in Islington, London, on 10 February 1917, the son of Frederick William Rushforth, a fine art publisher, and Annabella Henry née Riddoch. Qualifying from Guy's Hospital, he completed his house jobs and specialised in orthopaedics as a registrar to the Emergency Medical Serv

Robert Roaf was a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon and one of the few remaining pre-war Himalayan climbers. He was born into a Canadian academic family in Golders Green, London, on 25 April 1913, the second son of Herbert Eldon Roaf, professor of physiology at Liverpool, and Beatrice Sophia, the da

John Fitton was born in Darlington on 6 August 1915. His father, John Hall Fitton, was a bank manager in the West Riding of Yorkshire and his mother Joanna, née Fowler, was of Scottish descent. He was educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and studied medicine at the University of Leeds Medical