David Harland was born in Heathfield, Sussex on 17 January 1916. His father, Percy Cave Harland, was on the staff of Barclay's Bank and his mother was Emma, née Colenutt. He attended Roborough School, Eastbourne, until he went to St Bartholomew's Hospital where he won the Hallett Prize in 1948. He h

Fred Hunt was born at Ilkeston, Derbyshire, on 5 March 1899, the son of John Hunt, a schoolmaster, and his wife Clara, née Beardsley, who had seven children. He was educated at the Elementary School and the County Secondary School in Ilkeston, and entered the London Hospital Medical College in 1916,

Joseph Peacock was born in Brentford, London, on 22 October 1918, the only child (two sisters having died) of Henry James Peacock, general manager of the Great Western Railway, and of Florence Peacock, née Milton. After education at Reading School and Bristol Grammar School he entered Birmingham Uni

Fred Graves was a general surgeon in Staffordshire with an interest in urology. He was born in Hereford in 1919, later studied medicine at University College Hospital and specialised in surgery at King’s College Hospital. He was subsequently appointed consultant general surgeon at Staffordshire Gene

Roger Brearley was a consultant general surgeon at Whiston and St Helens hospitals, Merseyside. He was born in Liverpool on 24 April 1922, the son of Thomas Brearley, an oboist in the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. His mother's maiden name was Duncalfe. His great grandfather, George Du

Gordon Stuart Ramsay was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal London Homeopathic, Metropolitan and Bromley hospitals, London. He was born on 11 December 1919 in Streatham, south London. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and then St Bartholomew's Medical School. During the

Colonel John Watts was the first joint professor of military surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal Army Medical College, a post he held from 1960 to 1964. Watts was born on 13 April 1913 at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, the only child of John Nixon Watts, a solicitor, and the Hono

Michael George Wilson was a consultant surgeon at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. He studied medicine at Leeds University. Immediately after qualifying, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. At first he was attached to the Scots Guards, but was then posted to Jerusalem. He subsequently spent two yea

Carey Smith was surgeon superintendent of Stratford Hospital, Taranaki, New Zealand. He was born in Slad, near Stroud, in Gloucestershire, on 5 June 1917. His father Kenred Smith was a missionary in the Baptist Missionary Society and his mother was Ethel May Walker. He was educated at the Birches, a

Victor Stanley Brookes was an eminent Birmingham surgeon. His main surgical work was carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he was a consultant for 25 years up until his retirement. He was a generalist in the traditional fashion with special interests in gastroenterology and colo-rectal

Hujohn Ripman was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in the Ipswich and East Suffolk area. He was born in London on 3 January 1918, the son of Christian Hugo Ripman, a physician who had trained at Guy's Hospital Medical School, and Freda Beatrice Ripman née Jacks, who had been a dance teach

John Wilks was a consultant general surgeon at Bolton. He was born in London on 18 October 1918, the son of Charles Edward and Sybil Wilks. He was educated at Newcastle Preparatory School and Tonbridge School, where he gained an entrance scholarship, the Judd leaving exhibition and the Kitchener sch