John Foster, the eldest son of John Robert Foster, an ophthalmic surgeon, and of Emily Jane (née Elliot) was born on 31 October 1903 in West Hartlepool. He was educated at Aysgarth School, Uppingham School and Caius College, Cambridge, before entering the London Hospital Medical School where he won

Harold Strang Taylor-Young was born on 3 March 1902. He was the second son of Hugh Corbett Taylor, a gynaecologist in Sydney, Australia, and his wife Annie Rankin, née Strang. Taylor-Young noted on his CV form that his father "never legally hyphenated his name", but that he did in 1930. He came t

Currie was born on 16 June 1903 in Leeds, the third son of James Irvine Currie, wholesaler clothier, and Florence Emma, née Dixon. His uncle Hugh Currie, a surgeon in Johnannesburg, was at the relief of Ladysmith. An elder brother, Donald Currie, gained his FRCS in 1923. He was educated at Leeds Gra

Alfred Charles Fisher was born on 26 June 1905 in Lurgan, Co Armagh. Both his father and uncle were physicians. When five months old he went with his parents to Northern Rhodesia; en route he was carried over the girders of the uncompleted Victoria Falls bridge before the roadway was put on. He was

Henry Hamilton Stewart was born on 23 August 1904, the son of H A Stewart, a practitioner at Thornton, Bradford. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School, King's College Cambridge and St Thomas's Hospital. At Cambridge he was placed in the first class in the Natural Sciences Tripos of 1925. At St

Norman Barrett was born in Adelaide, Australia, on 16 May 1903. He was one of the great pioneers of thoracic surgery. After spending his early years in Australia he came to England and was educated at Eton where he was distinguished in both academic and athletic fields. He proceeded to Trinity Colle

'Bill' Tucker was born on 6 August 1903 in Hamilton, Bermuda,where his ancestors had been colonists in the 17th century and where his father, also William Eldon Tucker, was a surgeon whose contributions to the profession were recognized by the award of the honorary FRCS in 1952. His mother was Henri

Arthur Espie Porritt was born in Wanganui, New Zealand, the elder son of E E Porritt, VD, MD, FRCS, and of Ivy Elizabeth, née Mackenzie, whose father was also a medical practitioner. After education at Wanganui Collegiate School and Otago University, where he had an outstanding athletic record, he s