Stanley Willson Holmes was born in Reading on 1 October 1906, the son of Arthur Perceval Holmes, a company director and Emily Mabel Mills, sister of Bertram Mills the circus proprietor. His early education was at Hendon Preparatory School and University College School, Hampstead, after which he ente

Heber Langston was born in Croydon, Surrey, on 1 July 1907, the eldest son of Earle Legh Langston, a Clerk in Holy Orders, and Alice, née Carr. He was educated at Monkton Combe School, Bath, and St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he qualified in 1931 with distinction in surgery. After junior appoin

Allen John Bridson Goldsmith was born on 27 November 1909, the son of an Edinburgh MD. He was educated at King William's College, Isle of Man, and the Middlesex Hospital. He qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1931 and took the MB BS with distinction in medicine and pathology. He held posts at th

Ronald Furlong was a leading orthopaedic surgeon. He was born in Woolwich on 3 March 1909, the son of Ronald John Furlong, a businessman. Ronald was educated at Eltham College and St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified in 1931. In the following year he won the Cheselden medal in anatomy and surger