Alfred ('Boo') Fripp was born in London in 1899. He was the son of Sir Alfred Fripp (*Lives* 1930-51), a surgeon at Guy's Hospital and Surgeon-in-Ordinary to both King Edward VII and King George V. He served in the first world war, enlisting as a second lieutenant and seeing action in France. Aft

Walter Harvey Gervis was born on 22 February 1901 in Brighton, Sussex, the son of Henry Gervis, medical practitioner and Matilda Death, a miller's daughter. His great, great grandfather was in practice in Ashburton. His great grandfather practiced in Tiverton and his grandfather was obstetric physic

Silvanus Mottram Milner was born on 21 January 1901 at Salford, the son of Edmund T Milner, honorary consultant surgeon at Salford Royal Hospital, and his wife, Emma, née Chandley. During his early childhood his father suffered a stroke, relinquished his hospital appointment and moved with his famil

Reginald Watson-Jones was born on 4 March 1902 and received his medical education at Liverpool University, where after taking the BSc with first class honours in 1922 he qualified in medicine in 1924. He was a brilliant student and an excellent speaker, and he won most of the prizes in medicine at h