Born on Christmas Day 1902, the son of Henry Thomas Blake and Maud MacIntyre, Henry Elliot Blake was educated at Dean Close, Cheltenham, Queen's College, Cambridge, and St Thomas's Hospital, London. His father was a member of the Institute of Water Engineers and a County Councillor and Justice of th

Oswald Vaughan Lloyd-Davies was born at Chariton, Kent on 13 January 1905, the son of Rev Samuel Lloyd-Davies BA, a congregational minister, and Anna Marguerita, née Evans. He was educated at Caterham School where he secured the Honoratus Prize before entering the Middlesex Hospital Medical School f

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

Jack Albert White was born on 5 May 1906, the son of Edward James White, a colour lithographer and his wife Mabel, née Rollings. He was educated at Emmanuel School, Wandsworth, and, after two years, obtained a scholarship to Sutton Valence School, whence he was awarded an entrance scholarship to St

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.

William John Ferguson spent his boyhood in Cumbria and from there went to London to study medicine at Guy's Hospital, qualifying MRCS, LRCP in 1929 and MB BS in London in 1931. He embarked on a surgical career at once, passing his Fellowship in 1932 and his London MS in 1933, for which he was awarde

Maurice Lee was born in Dublin in 1906 but during his early childhood his family moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he was educated before entering the University of Durham for medical studies, qualifying at the early age of 21 and passing the FRCS five years later. During the early part of his c

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,

Hermon Taylor was born in Workington on the Cumbrian coast on 11 May 1905. His father, Enoch Oliver Taylor, was a schoolmaster and his mother, Louise née Harrison, a schoolmistress. His father came to London to become Director of Education for Edmonton and Hermon was educated at Latymer School, from

John Mortimer Leggate, known as Jack, was born at West Kirby on 7 April 1904, the son of a general practitioner, James Leggate, and his wife Elizabeth, née Thomas. He was educated at Liverpool College and the University of Liverpool where he became President of the Guild of Undergraduates. He gradua

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

Alan Doyle Everett was born in London on 8 October 1905, the first son of Herbert, a linen merchant, and Rhoda (Doyle) the daughter of an engineer. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St Bartholomew's Hospital qualifying MRCS in 1929 and gaining the FRCS and also the MS London in 1930. A