Charles Geoffrey Rob was born at Skipton Hall, Skipton, Thirsk, Yorkshire on 23 April 1909. His father was Henry Rob, a farmer, and his mother was Muriel Carter Mitchell, whose father was a general practitioner. He was a cousin of Charles Granville Rob, the vascular surgeon, who was Professor in Lon

Henry Sutcliffe Sharp was born in Leeds in 1910 into a distinguished medical family. He was educated at Haileybury and Caius College, Cambridge, whence he graduated MB, BCh in 1936 having obtained the Conjoint Diploma in the previous year. After holding junior appointments at St Thomas's Hospital, L

Franklin Adin (Sam) Simmonds was born in 1911 and educated at Sherborne where he captained the school team at cricket and rugby. He then went to Pembroke College, Cambridge, for pre-clinical studies, where he acquired a golf blue before going to St Thomas's Hospital, qualifying in 1935. After early

Frederick Godsalve Ward was born at West Byfleet, Surrey, on 30 November 1909, the son of Dr Vere Godsalve Ward, a general practitioner, and his wife Janey, née Corry. He was educated at Rugby School before going up to New College, Oxford, for his pre-clinical studies. After leaving Oxford he went t

Brian McNeill Truscott was born in Hampstead on 29 February 1912, the son of Samuel John Truscott, Professor of Mining Engineering at the Royal School of Mines and Mary Truscott (née Vaughan). He was educated at Oundle School and the Middlesex Hospital where he held resident appointments after quali

Fenton Braithwaite was born on July 28 1908, the third of four sons of Abraham Braithwaite, farmer, of Marton in the Fylde, Lancashire, and of his wife Ann. He attended Baines Grammar School before entering Manchester University to read for an honours degree in mathematics. He then proceeded to rese