John Roydon Peacock was the son of Ralph Peacock, an accomplished portrait painter whose work is represented by two paintings in the Tate Gallery and others in various national galleries throughout the world. He studied at Cambridge where he graduated with first class honours in the Natural Science

George Dorling was born in 1905 in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, the son of Arthur Whayman Dorling, secretary to the Congregational Church Building Society, and his wife Jane Elizabeth, née Passfield. He was at school in Loughton before entering the London Hospital Medical School where he was awarded th

Born on 16 November 1903, Max Ernst studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he completed house jobs and then spent a period at sea as a ship's doctor. He then settled down in Romford as a general practitioner-surgeon. At the outbreak of war he was rejected for military service because o

Archie Murrell Acheson Moore, known as Dintie, was born in Pretoria on 14 August 1904 and underwent his early education in South Africa. He came to London with his family at the age of seventeen but within a year his father had died, leaving the family with very little money. He entered the London H

Judson Tyndale Chesterman was born on 16 February 1903, the fourth son of a Bath solicitor, William Thomas Chesterman, and his wife, Elizabeth, nee Clapton. He was educated at Monkton Combe School and distinguished himself in his medical training at Bristol by winning many of the prizes including go

Wilfred Hynes was born in Leeds in January 1903, educated at Leeds Grammar School and graduated from Leeds University Medical School with first class honours in 1927, gaining the primary FRCS as a student. After a period as resident anaesthetist at Sheffield Royal Hospital he trained in surgery, and

Born on 18 August 1896 at Windsor, Nova Scotia, son of Aaron Grindon Blauvelt, a manufacturer, and his wife Margaret Chisholm. He was in San Francisco at the time of the great earthquake and fire of 1906, but returned safe to Nova Scotia, and was educated at Dalhousie University. As a medical studen

Robin Pilcher was born on 22 June 1902 in Northwood, Middlesex, into a family without medical connections, although his younger brother Michael was to follow him into surgery. His father was Thorold Sturtevant Pilcher and his mother Helena, née Neilson. He was a scholar at St Paul's School and a pri

Donald Barlow was born on 4 July 1905 in Leytonstone, son of Leonard Barlow, an electrical engineer, and Katherine Monteagle. His eldest brother Leonard was killed at the age of 18 after winning the MC with two bars in the Royal Flying Corps; the second became FRS and a professor at University Colle

Arthur Capel Herbert Bell was born at Epsom, Surrey, on 18 September 1904. His father was John Herbert Bell, a solicitor who was the eldest son of Dr William Bell, general practitioner at Wallasey. The second son, and uncle of Arthur Bell, was William Blair Bell, first President of the College of Ob