John Herbert Thompson was born on 2 April 1900. He was educated at Bootham, York, whence he proceeded to University College Hospital, London, qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1923. After house appointments and obtaining the FRCS in 1928 he joined the Colonial Service and was posted as a surgi

Francis Allan was born on March 21 1900, received his medical education at St Thomas's Hospital and qualified in 1925. After holding a resident post at his teaching hospital he became an assistant at the Royal Cripples' Hospital, Birmingham, and thereafter spent his professional life in the Midlands

Philip Hack, the eldest child of Lewis Joel Hack, a merchant, was born on 25 May 1900 at Saduve, Lithuania. The family soon moved to Irene, Transvaal, South Africa. Philip was educated first at Hope Mill School, Cape Town, and then at Pretoria Boys' High School before entering the University of Cape

Edwin Holmes was born in Yorkshire, the son of the owner of a small building firm. He went to the local school and in 1914 joined the army as a private soldier and when fighting in the trenches in France was wounded and sent back to England. Subsequently he was given a grant and entered the medical

Erichsen Sutton Page was born at Solihull where his grandfather and his father had been in medical practice. He went to Solihull Grammar School and thence to Cambridge as a scholar of Selwyn College. He was a brilliant student and graduated BA in 1919 with a first-class in the natural science tripos

Thomas Vibert Pearce was born on 26 March 1900 and educated at Newport Grammar School, Isle of Wight. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service and became a pilot. Eighteen months later he entered St Thomas's and in 1923 graduated MB BS. Resident appointments followed at St Thomas'

Harvey Jackson was born on 16 October 1900 and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and qualified with the Conjoint examination in 1923. One of his obituarists states that he had qualified in dental surgery and suppor