Robert Bell was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, on 22 November 1917. His father, Robert Duncan Bell, was a farmer, having previously been a missionary to the Ojibway and Chinook Indians. His mother was Violet Lydia Clarke, daughter of an actor-manager from Bilston in Staffordshire, England. Rob

John Howard Egbert Verdon qualified in 1941 from St Thomas's Hospital in London. He held house appointments at the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital and the Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital. He was then appointed surgical registrar to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and eventually became senior

Arsene Klidjian was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 22 April 1918. His father, Karnig Klidjian, was a pharmacist and among those who had fled Armenia in the Turkish massacres. Arsene was educated at Victoria College. His elder brother was expected to help run the family business, but Arsene was sent t

Benjamin John Fowler was born in 1917 in Peterborough where he attended the King's School before entering Guy's Hospital to qualify in 1941. He was called up for Army service, working as a general duties medical officer with some experience in surgery. While in North Africa he was created Chevalier

John Shipman was a consultant surgeon at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. He was born in London on 20 September 1917. His father, Henry, was in business, his mother was Rachel née Harwich. He studied medicine at University College Hospital, where he qualified in 1941 and after junior posts joined t

Wallace Black was born at 14 Park View Road, Finchley on 12 September 1917; his father, James Black was a company director and his mother was Jane Duckworth, whose father was an electrical engineer. Black was educated at Finchley County School and at King's College London, and Westminster Hospital M

Richard Dennis Wilkins studied medicine at Oxford University and St Thomas's Hospital, London. He qualified MRCS in 1941 and FRCS in 1948. Returning to Canada he entered family practice while also doing some general surgery. He became consultant surgeon to the Marine General Hospital, Goderich, the

Charles Edward Drew, eldest son of Edwin Frank Drew, an accountant, and of Eunice (née Lloyd-Davies) was born in Lambeth on 15 December 1916. He was educated at an elementary school in Stockwell and at Westminster City School and then secured an open scholarship in 1935 to King's College, London, an

John Holmes Tasker was born in London on 20 January 1917, the son of Dr Ludwig Tasker, a general practitioner, and May, née Gadsden, a registered nurse. He was educated at Epsom College before entering Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1935 with the Haviland exhibition. After completing pre-clin