John Reginald Thompson was born on 13 March 1917 in Paignton, Devon, the son of John Thompson FRCS, GP surgeon of Torquay and Paignton and Elsie, née Royle. His mother was one of the first women to qualify as a doctor when she passed the MD in Manchester in 1909. He was educated at Sherborne School

Sir David Innes Williams (generally known as 'DI') had two careers of equal distinction and near equal length - as a surgeon and as an academic administrator. However, he was first and foremost a surgeon. He was born on 12 June 1919 in London into a distinguished medical family. His father, Gwynne E