Thomas Denness was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, on 13 September 1912, the son of Thomas Denness, a mechanical and electrical engineer in the Civil Service, and Janet née Collins. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, Charterhouse Square, London, from which he gained the Merchant Taylo

William Alexander Law, known as Scottie, was born in Edinburgh on 22 August 1910, the only son of James Law, dental surgeon, and his wife Agnes, née Jarvis. He was educated at Giggleswick School and won an open scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge, where he obtained first class honours in the

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

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

John Mayer was born in Hampstead, London, on 18 January 1913, the son of Harold Mayer, a china and glass merchant, and Madge (née Nathan). He was educated at Brighton College and Guy's Hospital, qualifying in 1935. After house posts there and a demonstratorship he passed the FRCS in 1938 and was reg

Arthur Bryson was an orthopaedic surgeon in China, Nigeria and London. He was born in China in 1910, the son and grandson of a well-known missionary family. After surgical training in England he returned to China with the Council for World Mission, serving with the Chinese Red Cross in the Sino-Japa

Brian Thomas came from a strong medical background. His father was a consultant ophthalmologist at Swansea and his father before him was also a doctor, while his mother, Florence, was an Edinburgh medical graduate and her father a general practitioner. Also two uncles and his brothers were in medici

He was born in London in 1912, and received his early education at Doon House Preparatory School, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. He then went to Uppingham and was promoted to the scientific sixth form in his fourth year. In 1930 he was enrolled as a medical student at the London Hospital Medical College.

Arthur Jacob Helfet was born in Calvinia, Cape Province, on 19 February 1907, the eldest son of Leon Helfet, a farmer and businessman, and Sara (née Levin). His early education was at Calvinia High School and he proceeded to the University of Cape Town where he graduated BSc in 1929. His clinical st

William Henry Hyde Joseph de Wolffe de Wytt was born on 20 November 1910 at Wood Green, London. His father had at one time been Professor of Pharmacology in the University at Aberdeen. He was educated at Holloway Secondary School, St Bartholomew's Hospital and after his father's death, at University

Born on 29 August 1911 in Bury, Lancashire, John Charnley was the son of Arthur Walker Charnley, pharmacist, and Lily, née Hodgson, a nurse, he was educated at Bury Grammar School and Manchester University. He was persuaded to read medicine rather than dentistry, his first choice, by L R Strangeways