Brews was the son of a general practitioner, Richard Vincent Brews, LRCSI, and his wife Edith Manifold; he was born in North Woolwich in 1902. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School and became a medical student at the London Hospital in 1920. After gaining many prizes he qualified in 1924,

Calvert Gwillim was born on 26 October 1899 in Ceylon. After spending his childhood on that island he was educated first at Swansea and later at St Bartholomew's Hospital, from where he qualified in 1921. He first became a house surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary where he gained considerable exper

George Frederick Gibberd was born on 18 April 1902 and grew up in Dulwich. He was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School and Guy's Hospital and qualified in 1923. He became MS (London) in 1926 and FRCS in 1927 and a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1933. He was ele

Arthur Joseph Wrigley (Joe) was born at Clitheroe, Lancashire, on 5 May 1902, the son of Canon Joseph Wrigley and after attending the Royal Grammar School, Clitheroe, and later Rossall School, he entered St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1924. He gained a distinction in pathology in

Earl Leslie Robert first trained in dentistry at the Royal Dental Hospital and then moved to the Middlesex and London Hospitals when he decided to take up surgery. He was deputy medical superintendent of St Mary's Hospital, Highgate, house surgeon to the Royal Northern Hospital and obstetric and gyn