Birinchi Prasad Samanta was born on 23 February 1924, the son of Chander Mahal Samanta, a lawyer. He was educated at the Calcutta School where he won the first prize for the highest aggregate marks in the sciences. At Calcutta University in 1941 he was awarded highest marks in the BSc. He passed MB

Colin Howe was born in Port Talbot, Glamorgan on 14 April 1929, the son of Benjamin Edward, solicitor and coroner, and Eliza Florence (née Thomson), a grocer's daughter. Colin's elder brother, Sir Geoffrey, was a prominent member of the Conservative Party and held office in the Government of Margare

Denis George Calvert was a consultant surgeon at Gloucester Royal Infirmary. He was born in Belfast on 23 April 1928, where his father Thomas George Calvert was an insurance manager. His mother, Isobel née Stafford, was the daughter of the fire chief of Belfast. He was educated at Epsom and the Midd

Charles Renton was a consultant general surgeon in Hereford, specialising in vascular and breast surgery. He was born on 22 September 1930 in Glasgow, where his father and grandfather had been surgeons. He father was James Mill Renton, who worked at the Western Infirmary. His mother died three days

Allan Edwin Joseph Mullins was born in Haberfield, Sydney, on 19 May 1928 and after early education at De La Salle College, Ashfield, entered the University of Sydney for his medical studies, qualifying in 1953. Initially he entered general practice in Albury and Wagga Wagga but came to England i

Wilbert McNeill Orr, known as ‘Willie’, was a renal transplant researcher and surgeon, and later a general surgeon in Manchester. He was born on 3 April 1930 in Trim, County Meath, Ireland, the son of David Orr, a bank manager, and Wilamena McNeill, a teacher. He attended Sligo Grammar School and en