Born at Penally, Pembrokeshire son of Charles Mathias (1817-88) MRCS 1839, Surgeon IMS, he was educated at Clifton College and King's College, Cambridge where he gained an entrance scholarship and was awarded a first class in both parts of the Natural Sciences Tripos, despite a long period of illnes

Richard Webster Doyle qualified in 1928 and graduated from Liverpool University in the following year. There is no record of his early appointments but he served in the RAMC during the second world war. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese in the Far East, spending three years in Changi jail where

Purves was born in Edinburgh on 25 December 1894 and graduated from Edinburgh University in 1917. During the first world war he served as a Surgeon-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and afterwards returned to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, where he held a number of appointments, including an assistant

Walter Bernard Secretan was born at Croydon on 15 May 1875 and was educated at Bradfield College and Guy's Hospital, qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1900. He was a house-surgeon at Guy's and in 1901 graduated with the London MB BS and also obtained the FRCS. In 1902-3 he made two voyages as

Norman Frederic Ticehurst was born at St Leonards-on-Sea on 1 July 1873, his father and grandfather having been doctors in Hastings. He was educated at Tonbridge School, Clare College Cambridge, and Guy's Hospital Medical School, qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1901. In 1902 he took the FRCS

Edric Frank Wilson was born on 6 September 1898 and did his medical studies at Guy's Hospital, the course being interrupted by naval service as a Surgeon Probationer during the first world war. On demobilization he returned to Guy's and qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1920. He took the FRCS i

James McFadzean was born at Colmonell, Ayrshire, on 22 October 1900 and educated at Ayr Academy and Glasgow University, where he graduated MB ChB in 1924. After appointments at the London Hospital he took the FRCS. In 1927 he joined a general practice at Morecambe, Lancashire, and was soon appointed

Neil Mackillop was born of Scottish parents in Karachi in 1920. He was educated at Glasgow High School and the University of Glasgow where he captained the university rugby team. After qualifying in 1943 and one year in resident appointments he joined the Royal Navy for three years and returned to t

There are no details of John Francis Edward Gillam's date of birth, family, education or early medical appointments. He qualified from St Thomas's Hospital in 1925 and took the FRCS four years later. In 1931 he moved to a general practice partnership at Haverfordwest where he also practised surgery.

Bernard Graham Scholefield was born at Blackheath on 7 May 1899, the only son of Robert Ernest Scholefield, a general practitioner who had held a Radcliffe Travelling Fellowship from Oxford. His mother, Elizabeth Graham (née Marshall), was daughter of a former Vicar of Blackheath and Canon of Roches

Gilbert Charrington Wellish was born in Sydney, Australia, on 1 January 1893, the youngest of four children. No details of his parents are available but it is known that several members of the family practised surgery and one nephew was a pathologist. After graduating from Sydney University in 1916

John Charles Leedham-Green was born in Birmingham on 30 October 1902, eldest son of Charles Albert Leedham-Green FRCS (1867-1931), sometime Professor of Surgery at Birmingham University, and his wife, Ethel, née Lees. He was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read chemist