Dennis Van Meurs graduated from St Thomas's Hospital in 1937 and at first intended becoming an ophthalmic surgeon. However, he developed an interest in thyroid operations and decided on a career in general surgery. He was appointed to Kent County Council in 1940 and in 1948 became a consultant su

James Albert Rhind studied medicine at Leeds University where he graduated MB ChB with first class honours in 1937 and won the William Hey Gold Medal of the University. He worked as resident surgical officer to the Leeds Infirmary and was surgeon specialist in the RAMC during the second world war. H

Alan Birt was born on 24 June 1915, the son of the Surgeon Dentist to King George V and Queen Mary. Like his father, he was educated at Wellington College and St Thomas's Hospital, where he qualified with honours in 1937. He held a number of junior appointments there and was later appointed senior r

Arthur Sangster was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, the son of Herbert, a lawyer. He was at school at King's College in Windsor before entering Ashby College in Ottawa, and then on to his medical training at Dalhousie University. His early surgical experience was at the Victoria General Hospital in Ha

Cedric Longland was born at Bolobo in the Belgian Congo on 30 September 1914. His father, Frank Longland, was a civil engineer in East Africa and later Provincial Commissioner for Tanganyika Territory. Daisy Longland, Cedric's mother, was one of the earliest women to qualify in medicine at Edinburgh

John Armstrong was born on 20 March 1911 in Monmouth, where his father, Arthur Keith Armstrong, was a general practitioner; his great-grandfather John Armstrong was a member of the College and his mother was Louise Lilly Macman, the daughter of a solicitor. He was educated at Highgate School and

Bob Lamming was born in Hull on 6 December 1910, the son of Robert Sydney Lamming, a timber merchant's clerk, and Clara Gertrude Redfearn, a solicitor's daughter. He was educated at Bridlington School, Yorkshire, and Leeds University, where he won pre-clinical and clinical scholarships, and the Will

Alan Leask was born in Hong Kong on 19 October 1914. His father, William Laughton Leask, was an architect and civil engineer practising in Aberdeen and Hong Kong. His mother was Mabel née Beaton. His elder brother Laughton Rennie Leask was also a Fellow (qv *Lives of the Fellows* Volume 8, p.186).

Katharine Branson was a consultant surgeon at the Bruntsfield and Longmore Hospitals, Edinburgh. She was born in London on 5 August 1912. Her father, Frederick Henry Ewart Branson, was a solicitor. Her mother was Helen Mary, née Brown, the daughter of a solicitor. Katharine was educated at Hall S

John Alan East qualified in medicine in 1938 having trained at Guy's Hospital Medical School. He took the Conjoint Diploma in 1937 and the College Fellowship in 1939. He worked as consultant surgeon to the South East Metropolitan Hospitals Board in London. On moving to the USA he became surgeon to t

Born on 17 May 1914 at Wilsden, Yorkshire, George William Vause Greig was educated at Woodhouse Grove School, Apperley Bridge, and graduated in medicine with honours at Leeds in 1937. He joined the RAMC in 1939 and served in the Norway campaign of 1940 and later in India and Burma, attaining the ran

George Fairlie-Clarke qualified from St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1938 and after a house surgeon post at Bart's he was resident surgical officer at the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells. He retired to Dartmouth where he died on 9 September 2002, aged 89 years.