John Howard Egbert Verdon qualified in 1941 from St Thomas's Hospital in London. He held house appointments at the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital and the Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital. He was then appointed surgical registrar to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and eventually became senior

Gilbert Benjamin Rowland Walkey - known as 'Ben' - was a surgeon who spent most of his working life in India. He was born in Marazion, Cornwall, on 27 June 1916. His father, Oliver, was a clerk in holy orders. Ben was one of seven children. He had an older brother, Sam, and five younger brothers and

John Henry Charles Phillips was born in Hampstead, London, on 24 April 1917, the son of Samuel Phillips, an import and export businessman, and his wife Elise. He was educated at Heathmount School, Hampstead, and Hillsbrow School, Redhill, before going to the Leys School, Cambridge. His medical studi

Richard Dennis Wilkins studied medicine at Oxford University and St Thomas's Hospital, London. He qualified MRCS in 1941 and FRCS in 1948. Returning to Canada he entered family practice while also doing some general surgery. He became consultant surgeon to the Marine General Hospital, Goderich, the

John Holmes Tasker was born in London on 20 January 1917, the son of Dr Ludwig Tasker, a general practitioner, and May, née Gadsden, a registered nurse. He was educated at Epsom College before entering Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1935 with the Haviland exhibition. After completing pre-clin