William (Bill) Tandy was born on 9 September 1904, one of the three sons of W S Tandy, a jeweller, and Ann, née Hickman. He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. After qualification in 1927 he worked as a surgical registrar at the General Hos

James Reid was born in Bournemouth on 24 October 1906, the son of George Alexander Reid, a general practitioner, and his wife Muriel, née Hopwood. He was educated at Hailey Preparatory School in Bournemouth, and Marlborough College, Wiltshire. He then went to Oxford University and on to St George's

C S Patel was born on 13 October 1905 at rural Palana, went to school there, and afterwards at Baroda and Poona. His medical education was at the Grant Medical College and the JJ group of hospitals in Bombay. He had a brilliant career as a student obtaining 13 prizes, medals and scholarships; he qua

Edward Carew-Shaw was born in Lymm, Cheshire, on 28 March 1901, the son of Edward, a cotton broker, and Carolyne Hetty Newman, an actress. He received his schooling at Connaught School, Hove, and then Brighton Grammar School. He began evening classes at King's College, London, and then two years lat

Born in Bromley, Kent on 12 May 1905, Gaffer, as he was always known, was educated at Brighton College and St Thomas's Hospital where he was to spend most of his professional life. The second son of a solicitor, perhaps the immense attention to detail which characterised his work was due to his earl

'Roley' Lee was born in 1906 to a Lincolnshire family, the youngest of ten children. He went to Brigg Grammar School where he was an outstanding athlete, excelling as much in swimming and tennis as he did in football. He won a scholarship to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and then went on to do his cl

Charles Vartan was born on 11 November 1907 at Sandiacre, Nottinghamshire, where his father, Charles Samuel Vartan, was a general practitioner and his mother was Florence Ethel, née Hepworth. His grandfather was Dr P K Vartan who in 1861 had founded the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society's Hospita

Roland Maitland Alderton was born on 20 June 1902 in Hadleigh, Suffolk, son of David Simpson, a miller and corn merchant, and Margaret McLachlan, daughter of a clergyman. He was educated at Tonbridge School and the London Hospital, qualifying MRCS LRCP in 1930 and MB BS in 1931. After working as

Robert Allen Fitzsimons was born on 16 March 1892 at Maugherow, County Sligo, Ireland, and educated there at Summerhill College. He entered the Customs and Excise branch of the Civil Service by competitive examination in 1911 and in 1912 was transferred from Ireland to the Custom House at Billingsga

Stanley Livingstone Wilson was born at Dannevirke, New Zealand, in 1905, and was educated at Dannevirke High School where he was head prefect and captain of the cricket and rugby teams. While at school he played for Hawke's Bay at cricket and secured many prizes as well as a university entrance scho

Franz Konrad Saddler Hirschfeld was born on 26 April 1904 in Brisbane, son of Dr Eugen Hirschfeld, a graduate of Strasbourg University, who emigrated to Australia in 1890, to become the first honorary bacteriologist to the Royal Brisbane Hospital and later honorary physician. Konrad was educated at

Francis Arthur d'Abreu, always known as Frank, was born in Handsworth, Staffordshire, on 1 October 1904, the second son of Dr John d'Abreu, a medical practitioner, and Teresa Noonan. He came from a large family of twelve children; his younger brother, Professor A d'Abreu FRCS, was also a surgeon.