Vincent Townrow was born on 1 June 1885 in Chesterfield, the youngest child of Thomas Townrow, a miller and his wife Mary (Adlington). Educated at Chesterfield Grammar School and Guy's Hospital, where he was prizeman of the Guy's Philosophical Society, he qualified with honours in medicine. Working

Thomas Linthorn Bradbeer was a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He was born on 8 January 1925 in the west country, the son of a dentist. He was educated at Dartington Hall, Devon and went on to study medicine at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London

Francis McGuckin graduated MB, BS from the University of Durham in 1926, obtained the FRCS Ed in 1930 and the MD with Gold Medal in 1935. He was ear, nose and throat surgeon to the Royal Victoria Infirmary and formerly lecturer in otolaryngology at King's College Medical School in Newcastle-upon-Tyn

John Roberts was born in Liverpool on 22 August 1901, the son of Robert Griffith Roberts, a builder, and his wife Margaret, née Thomas. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute. He qualified MB, ChB with second class honours in 1923, having obtained the Gee Fellowship and the Kanthack Medal. He wa

Henry Sutcliffe Sharp was born in Leeds in 1910 into a distinguished medical family. He was educated at Haileybury and Caius College, Cambridge, whence he graduated MB, BCh in 1936 having obtained the Conjoint Diploma in the previous year. After holding junior appointments at St Thomas's Hospital, L

James Ivor Griffiths was born in Tredegar on 26 December 1901, the son of James Evan Griffiths and Naomi, née Morgan. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Wales in Cardiff where he graduated BSc in 1921. He won an open scholarship to University College Hospital, qualifying MRCS, LRCP in

William Simon Pease was born in London on 15 October 1925. He was the son of Lord Wardington, the first Baron Wardington (1869-1950), who was the chairman of Lloyds Bank and his mother was the Honourable Dorothy Charlotte née Forster, the daughter of Lord Forster. After preparatory school at St Pet

John Norman McMichael Schofield was born on 11 April 1926 in Teddington, Middlesex. He was the eldest son of James William Schofield, a consultant dental surgeon at the Middlesex and University College Hospitals in London and his wife Lena née McMichael, who was the daughter of an Edinburgh JP. Afte

Michael Cox was born in Camberley, Surrey, on 14 April 1922, the son of Colonel Michael Cox of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. From Bradfield School he went to Corpus Christi Cambridge, and then to St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified in 1946. He did house appointments at St Thomas's and then

Gerard Erwin Stein was born in Kanth, Silesia, Germany, on 25 February 1916, the son of Adolf Stein, a clothing manufacturer and retailer, and his wife Frieda, née Masur. He was educated at a local primary school and later at a grammar school in Breslau up to the age of 18. His parents, devout Jews,

Evelyn Cecil Naylor Strong was born in Birmingham in 1901, the son of a dentist who intended him to follow in his footsteps. Accordingly he enrolled as a student at Mason College, Birmingham, but after completing the three year dental course he continued training to become a doctor; to support himse

Ronald Macbeth was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on 27 March 1903, the eldest son of William Murdoch Macbeth, secretary of the Northern Polytechnic, London, and Helena Kate, née Green, daughter of a GP in Hampstead. He was educated at Norman Court Preparatory School in Barnet, from which he won