Stanley Willson Holmes was born in Reading on 1 October 1906, the son of Arthur Perceval Holmes, a company director and Emily Mabel Mills, sister of Bertram Mills the circus proprietor. His early education was at Hendon Preparatory School and University College School, Hampstead, after which he ente

Born in Bromley, Kent on 12 May 1905, Gaffer, as he was always known, was educated at Brighton College and St Thomas's Hospital where he was to spend most of his professional life. The second son of a solicitor, perhaps the immense attention to detail which characterised his work was due to his earl

Desmond Kyran Mulvany was born in Portsmouth on 8 July 1907, the son of Dr John Mulvany, a general practitioner and an alderman of the City of Portsmouth, and his wife Eileen. His early education was at St John's College, Southsea, and St George's College, Weybridge, before entering King's College H

Philip Vernon Reading was senior ENT surgeon at Guy's. He was born on 16 January 1906 and educated at St Dunstan's College, Catford, and Guy's Hospital Medical School. He gained distinctions in surgery and midwifery, and was awarded the University gold medal in 1931. In the same year he passed his F