Martyn was born in London on 6 August 1935. His father, Sir Clement Price Thomas, was surgeon to King George VI, President of the BMA, the Association of Surgeons, the Royal Society of Medicine and Vice-President of the College. His mother was Dorrie Ricks. He was educated at Leighton Park and then

Ivor Alwyne Sewell studied medicine at King's College Hospital, qualifying MB BS in 1955. A lecturer in surgery at Westminster Hospital Medical School at the start of his career, he then became senior registrar in surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was awarded a PhD for research into the microci