Maurice James Bennett-Jones was born in Liverpool on 30 November 1906, his father was William James Bennett-Jones, consultant anaesthetist to Liverpool Royal Infirmary and his mother was Dr Daly - a Doctor of Medicine and a JP. He was educated at Rossall School, Fleetwood, and Liverpool University w

William John Ferguson spent his boyhood in Cumbria and from there went to London to study medicine at Guy's Hospital, qualifying MRCS, LRCP in 1929 and MB BS in London in 1931. He embarked on a surgical career at once, passing his Fellowship in 1932 and his London MS in 1933, for which he was awarde

Andrew Roy Banham was the only son of Sydney Marshall Banham, a general practitioner, and of Sophie Grace Banham (née Hacking) herself a medical practitioner who practised ophthalmology. He was born in Ealing on 15 October 1904. After early education at Yardley Court, Tonbridge, he secured an open s

Maurice Lee was born in Dublin in 1906 but during his early childhood his family moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he was educated before entering the University of Durham for medical studies, qualifying at the early age of 21 and passing the FRCS five years later. During the early part of his c

Jack Albert White was born on 5 May 1906, the son of Edward James White, a colour lithographer and his wife Mabel, née Rollings. He was educated at Emmanuel School, Wandsworth, and, after two years, obtained a scholarship to Sutton Valence School, whence he was awarded an entrance scholarship to St

Israel Preiskel was born on 7 July 1907 in Lithuania but early in his infancy the family moved to Paris and came to England when he was seven. He was educated at the Grocers' Company School in Hackney, from which he won a scholarship to St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. A brilliant student,

Kenneth Leslie James was born on 15 July 1906 in Burton-on-Trent, the son of Joseph Henry James, MA, LIB, BD, who had given up the law to become a Methodist Minister, and his wife Minnie, née Longley. His early education was at the Burnley Grammar School but due to the peripatetic nature of his f

Oswald Vaughan Lloyd-Davies was born at Chariton, Kent on 13 January 1905, the son of Rev Samuel Lloyd-Davies BA, a congregational minister, and Anna Marguerita, née Evans. He was educated at Caterham School where he secured the Honoratus Prize before entering the Middlesex Hospital Medical School f

Francis Arthur d'Abreu, always known as Frank, was born in Handsworth, Staffordshire, on 1 October 1904, the second son of Dr John d'Abreu, a medical practitioner, and Teresa Noonan. He came from a large family of twelve children; his younger brother, Professor A d'Abreu FRCS, was also a surgeon.

Arthur Williams was born on 31 December 1905 in Swansea, the son of David Edward Williams, a schoolmaster, and Katherine Hannah, née Humphries. He attended Swansea Grammar School and Swansea University College as a scholar, before going on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff. He chos

David Clowes Williams was born in Tarbach, Port Talbot, the son of John Ffoulkes Williams and his wife Elizabeth, née Thomas. He attended the University of Wales in Cardiff and the Welsh National School of Medicine, where he was influenced by the teaching of Professor Grey Turner. He qualified MB BC

Arthur Latchmore qualified in 1929 and after junior posts in Leeds specialised in surgery. He was resident surgical officer at the General Infirmary Leeds, and surgical tutor in the University of Leeds. During the war he served in the RAMC as Lieutenant-Colonel. He returned to Leeds as consultant su