George Dorling was born in 1905 in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, the son of Arthur Whayman Dorling, secretary to the Congregational Church Building Society, and his wife Jane Elizabeth, née Passfield. He was at school in Loughton before entering the London Hospital Medical School where he was awarded th

Born on 18 August 1896 at Windsor, Nova Scotia, son of Aaron Grindon Blauvelt, a manufacturer, and his wife Margaret Chisholm. He was in San Francisco at the time of the great earthquake and fire of 1906, but returned safe to Nova Scotia, and was educated at Dalhousie University. As a medical studen

Archie Murrell Acheson Moore, known as Dintie, was born in Pretoria on 14 August 1904 and underwent his early education in South Africa. He came to London with his family at the age of seventeen but within a year his father had died, leaving the family with very little money. He entered the London H

Born on 16 November 1903, Max Ernst studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he completed house jobs and then spent a period at sea as a ship's doctor. He then settled down in Romford as a general practitioner-surgeon. At the outbreak of war he was rejected for military service because o

Donald Barlow was born on 4 July 1905 in Leytonstone, son of Leonard Barlow, an electrical engineer, and Katherine Monteagle. His eldest brother Leonard was killed at the age of 18 after winning the MC with two bars in the Royal Flying Corps; the second became FRS and a professor at University Colle

Robin Pilcher was born on 22 June 1902 in Northwood, Middlesex, into a family without medical connections, although his younger brother Michael was to follow him into surgery. His father was Thorold Sturtevant Pilcher and his mother Helena, née Neilson. He was a scholar at St Paul's School and a pri