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.

Arthur Latchmore qualified in 1929 and after junior posts in Leeds specialised in surgery. He was resident surgical officer at the General Infirmary Leeds, and surgical tutor in the University of Leeds. During the war he served in the RAMC as Lieutenant-Colonel. He returned to Leeds as consultant su

Norman Cecil Tanner was born on 13 June 1906, 3rd son and 4th child of H J Tanner, building contractor, and Annie Harding, he was educated at Merchant Venturers' Technical College and Bristol University where he graduated MB ChB in 1929. He held junior medical and surgical appointments in Bristol (P

Andrew Roy Banham was the only son of Sydney Marshall Banham, a general practitioner, and of Sophie Grace Banham (née Hacking) herself a medical practitioner who practised ophthalmology. He was born in Ealing on 15 October 1904. After early education at Yardley Court, Tonbridge, he secured an open s

Arthur Williams was born on 31 December 1905 in Swansea, the son of David Edward Williams, a schoolmaster, and Katherine Hannah, née Humphries. He attended Swansea Grammar School and Swansea University College as a scholar, before going on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff. He chos

David Clowes Williams was born in Tarbach, Port Talbot, the son of John Ffoulkes Williams and his wife Elizabeth, née Thomas. He attended the University of Wales in Cardiff and the Welsh National School of Medicine, where he was influenced by the teaching of Professor Grey Turner. He qualified MB BC

George Hollis was born on 11 June 1904 in Durban, the son of John George Hollis, a building contractor, and Ethel, née Shirley a printer's daughter. He was educated at Durban High School and Natal University, then came to Guy's Hospital Medical School to study dentistry, qualifying LDSRCS in 1927, a

Kenneth Leslie James was born on 15 July 1906 in Burton-on-Trent, the son of Joseph Henry James, MA, LIB, BD, who had given up the law to become a Methodist Minister, and his wife Minnie, née Longley. His early education was at the Burnley Grammar School but due to the peripatetic nature of his f

Israel Preiskel was born on 7 July 1907 in Lithuania but early in his infancy the family moved to Paris and came to England when he was seven. He was educated at the Grocers' Company School in Hackney, from which he won a scholarship to St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. A brilliant student,

John Charles Nicholson was born at Chilworth, Surrey, on 10 January 1904, the son of Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson, the church architect, from whom he inherited the baronetcy in 1949, and the grandson of Sir Charles Nicholson, DCL, LLD, MD, one of the founders of Sydney University and its first Ch

Tom Wilson was consultant surgeon to the Eastbourne group of hospitals. He was born on 28 November 1904 at Antony in Cornwall, the son of Thomas Wilson, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland who had served as an Army surgeon during the Boer war, and Edith Mary Crichton (née Boxer), th

Gerald Herbert was born in Liverpool on October 7, 1904, the first son of Lt-Col H Herbert, FRCS, IMS, an ophthalmic surgeon, and his wife Agnes, née Killey. After leaving the IMS his father became a consultant ophthalmologist in Nottingham. Gerald Herbert was educated at Lees Preparatory School, Ho