Albert William Holgate was born at Halifax on 8 November 1896. His mother's father was Dr Keighley of Batley, Yorks. He was educated at Alleyn's School, Dulwich. He obtained the MRCS LRCP in 1918 and graduated MB BS the following year. He held house appointments at University College Hospital and th

Born on 11 August 1903 in Hong Kong, he was the first child of Richard Octavius Boon, CBE, a civil servant, and Emily Mary Fothergill. He was educated at Edgecliffe Preparatory School in Sydney, Australia and at St Paul's School London. He then became one of the most distinguished students at St Tho

Geoffrey Edward Parker was born on 24 June 1902 and was educated at Windlesham House School, Hove, Marlborough College, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He came to St Thomas's Hospital for his clinical course and qualified with the Conjoint Diploma and the Cambridge MB in 1926. Two years later he took t

Thomas Vibert Pearce was born on 26 March 1900 and educated at Newport Grammar School, Isle of Wight. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service and became a pilot. Eighteen months later he entered St Thomas's and in 1923 graduated MB BS. Resident appointments followed at St Thomas'

Robert Lord Holt was born near Oldham on 18 May 1903 and educated at William Hulme's Grammar School, and Manchester University, where he qualified with many distinctions. He held numerous resident appointments in Manchester and obtained his Fellowship in 1928. In 1931 he was Dickson Travelling Schol

Geoffrey Woodd-Walker was a consultant general surgeon at the West London Hospital from 1932 to 1965, and Vice-Dean of the medical school for many years before its merger with Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. He was born on 9 June 1900 in Bayswater, the only son of a general practitioner, D

John Cridlan Barrett was born on 10 August 1897 in Leamington Spa where his father was a pharmaceutical chemist. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School from where he obtained a scholarship to St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. In the first world war he served as a Lieutenant in the 5th Battal

James Gore was born in South Shields, County Durham, on 17 May 1903, the younger son of James Gore, a civil servant in HM customs and excise, and Eliza née Morton. Both his parents hailed from Belfast; his mother from a medical family. Her brother was William Blair Morton, Professor of Physics at Qu

Joe Fathi was born in Cairo on 3 March 1903, the second child of Dr Bernard Fathi and Mrs Fathi (née Rowntree). He came to England at an early age to be educated; He was at the Friends' School, Wigton, Cumberland, from 1910 to 1917 and then at the Friends' School, Saffron Waldon, Essex, from 1917

John Henry Milnes Walker was born on 16 March 1902 in Wakefield, the son of John William Walker and his wife Constance Elizabeth, née Holdsworth. His father and grandfather had both been surgeons on the staff of Clayton Hospital and his wife's father had been a physician there. He was educated at Ou

Illtyd James was born in Barry, Glamorgan, on 12 July 1900, the eldest son of Evan Thomas James, a master tailor, and Elizabeth Jones, a farmer's daughter. He was educated at Barry County School, where he held a county scholarship, and later at University College Cardiff (where he took a BSc in 1921

Robert Milnes Walker was born on 2 August 1903, the younger brother of John Henry (qv). He too was educated at Oundle School, where he became public schools gymnastic champion, and at University College Hospital where he graduated MB, BS (gold medal) in 1926. He was one of the last house surgeons to