Eric William Riches, the second child and eldest son of William Riches, a schoolmaster, and of Kate Riches (née Rowbotham), was born on 29 July 1897, at Alford, Lincolnshire. He was educated at St Dunstan's, Alford, and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Alford, before securing an entrance scholarship

James Rudd Ratcliffe was born on 5 October 1899 in the Cape Province, South Africa, the son of a stock farmer who was killed in the Boer war within a few months of his birth. His mother was distinguished for her bravery in nursing the wounded during the siege of Ladysmith. He went to school in South

Libero Fatti was born on 13 January 1901 in Johannesburg of Italian parents, Luigi and Eliza Fatti, pioneers who had come from Sansepolcro, a small town in Tuscany, in 1896. He was educated until 1915 at the German school in Johannesburg and then at St John's College. After matriculating he started

George Douglas Robb was born in Auckland on 29 April 1899 and educated at Auckland Grammar School, and Auckland University College and Otago University, graduating BSc and MB ChB in 1922. The following year he went to England and worked for his Fellowship in the company of three other pioneer thorac

Frederick Herman Aitken Walker, the only child of Frederick, a cotton manufacturer, and of Edith Walker, was born on 1 July 1900 at Clayton Le Moors, Lancashire. He was educated at Calday Grange School, West Kirby, Cheshire, and, after one year as a medical student at Liverpool University he moved t

There are no details of John Francis Edward Gillam's date of birth, family, education or early medical appointments. He qualified from St Thomas's Hospital in 1925 and took the FRCS four years later. In 1931 he moved to a general practice partnership at Haverfordwest where he also practised surgery.

Arkyl Staveley Gough was born on 16 September 1900 and after completing his early education became a cadet pilot in the newly formed Royal Air Force. He was demobilised in 1919 and entered Guy's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1925. During his student years he served in the Territorial Army w

James Cosbie Ross was born in Liverpool on 17 May 1904. He was the son and grandson of doctors, his father being James Ross, a general practitioner in Walton, Liverpool. His mother was Delia Cosbie and James, as the eldest child, took the name of Cosbie. James used this name and linked Ross as 'Cobb

Stephen Power was born in Reading in 1902 the son of a general practitioner in Stamford Hill in North London. He was educated at St Ignatius College and the London Hospital Medical School, graduating MB, BS in 1925. He was appointed house surgeon and subsequently clinical assistant at the London and

Gertrude Mary Beatrice Morgan was born in Edinburgh in November 1901 and was educated at Edinburgh Ladies' College and Newnham, College, Cambridge. After graduating in the Natural Science Tripos in 1923 she went to St Mary's Hospital, London, where she qualified with the Conjoint Diploma and graduat

Gerald Golden only revealed the year of his birth on his 90th birthday. He trained at the London Hospital, qualifying in 1923. Soon after he went to Brazil, mainly to work in a mission hospital and for his scientific work during a typhoid epidemic he was awarded MB by the University of Rio de Janeir