Kenneth Leslie James was born on 15 July 1906 in Burton-on-Trent, the son of Joseph Henry James, MA, LIB, BD, who had given up the law to become a Methodist Minister, and his wife Minnie, née Longley. His early education was at the Burnley Grammar School but due to the peripatetic nature of his f

Arthur Latchmore qualified in 1929 and after junior posts in Leeds specialised in surgery. He was resident surgical officer at the General Infirmary Leeds, and surgical tutor in the University of Leeds. During the war he served in the RAMC as Lieutenant-Colonel. He returned to Leeds as consultant su

Arthur Williams was born on 31 December 1905 in Swansea, the son of David Edward Williams, a schoolmaster, and Katherine Hannah, née Humphries. He attended Swansea Grammar School and Swansea University College as a scholar, before going on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff. He chos

David Clowes Williams was born in Tarbach, Port Talbot, the son of John Ffoulkes Williams and his wife Elizabeth, née Thomas. He attended the University of Wales in Cardiff and the Welsh National School of Medicine, where he was influenced by the teaching of Professor Grey Turner. He qualified MB BC

Raymond Purvis was born in Southampton on 30 December 1904, the second child and younger son of a consultant surgeon, William Prior Purvis, MD, MS, FRCS, and of Dora Raymond, daughter of Walter Raymond, a Somerset author. His paternal grandfather and great grandfather were also medically qualified.

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

Tom Wilson was consultant surgeon to the Eastbourne group of hospitals. He was born on 28 November 1904 at Antony in Cornwall, the son of Thomas Wilson, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland who had served as an Army surgeon during the Boer war, and Edith Mary Crichton (née Boxer), th

George Hollis was born on 11 June 1904 in Durban, the son of John George Hollis, a building contractor, and Ethel, née Shirley a printer's daughter. He was educated at Durban High School and Natal University, then came to Guy's Hospital Medical School to study dentistry, qualifying LDSRCS in 1927, a

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

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

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

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