Charles Philip Nicholas, 'Nick' to his friends, was born in Birmingham on 9 November 1913. His father was a dental surgeon. His maternal great uncle Charles Warden was an FRCS and founder of the Cripples' Hospital, Broad Street, Birmingham. He was educated at Bromsgrove School and the University of

John Armstrong was born on 20 March 1911 in Monmouth, where his father, Arthur Keith Armstrong, was a general practitioner; his great-grandfather John Armstrong was a member of the College and his mother was Louise Lilly Macman, the daughter of a solicitor. He was educated at Highgate School and

Dennis Van Meurs graduated from St Thomas's Hospital in 1937 and at first intended becoming an ophthalmic surgeon. However, he developed an interest in thyroid operations and decided on a career in general surgery. He was appointed to Kent County Council in 1940 and in 1948 became a consultant su

The son of Lt-Col A Macgregor Rose DSO, RAMC of Aberdeen, Ian Rose was born on 3 December 1912. He was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, and proceeded to St Bartholomew's Hospital where he graduated in 1937. After qualification he held several resident posts at Bart's and took his MA degree in 1938

After qualifying John Drew joined the Indian Medical Service in which he served until the partition of India in 1948. He then went to become Medical Superintendent of the Fremantle General Hospital, returning to England only to pass the final FRCS. In 1954 he went to the Royal Hobart Hospital first

John Dunlop was born on 29 June 1915 in India, where his father, John Dunlop, was a doctor. He was educated, with an entrance scholarship, at Epsom College, and in 1932 gained a scholarship to St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, and qualified in 1937. After holding a number of resident posts at St

Evan Denham was born in Brisbane on 18 May 1913, but was brought up in New Zealand where his father, Henry George Denham, was Professor of Chemistry and Rector of Canterbury University. His mother was Helen Horrell, of farming stock. He was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch, and Canterbury

Norman Hughes was born in Bangor, County Down, on 15 May 1915, the son of William Edwin Hughes, a manager of the Royal Insurance Company in Belfast, and his wife Elizabeth Knox, née Campbell, who was artistic and an enthusiastic gardener and golfer. Hughes was educated at Bangor Grammar School and Q