Ivor Hughes was born at Tredegar on 23 December 1901, to Morgan Howell Hughes, a provision merchant and Harriet Hughes (née Reynolds). He attended Llandovery College and qualified from Bristol in 1927 with the Conjoint Diploma. After a resident appointment at Bristol he came to London and was RMO at

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

John Barnard Blaikley was born in Finchley on 21 September 1906. His father was a banker and Michael Faraday was his great grand-uncle. He was educated at Christ's College, Finchley, and Guy's Hospital, where he qualified in 1928, taking the FRCS in 1931, the MRCOG in 1933, and the FRCOG in 1944. Af