William Ashby was born in Prenton, Birkenhead, on 17 May 1925, the son of Ernest William Ashby, a consultant electrical engineer and his wife Dorothy Margaret (née Bennett). He went to school at Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool and graduated in medicine at the University of Liverpool in 1948. Th

Robert Lewis Grynoch was born on 20 October, 1912 in France, the son of Baruch Grynoch, an engineer and industrialist. He was educated in Paris and Strasbourg. He qualified MD Strasbourg in 1939 and obtained the Conjoint Diploma in 1948 followed by the FRCS in 1952. He held resident posts in Reims,

Hari Ker was born at Stafford on 4 November 1924 and received his medical education at King's College, London, and Charing Cross Hospital, where he qualified MRCS, LRCP and MB, BS London in 1948. He was awarded the Pickering Prize at King's College and the public health prize at Charing Cross Hospit

Geoffrey Lumb was a consultant urologist in Taunton, Somerset. He was born in Crewkerne, Somerset, on 1 January 1925, the son of Norman Lumb, a urologist in Portsmouth. He was educated at Marlborough and St Thomas's Hospital. After junior posts he did his National Service in the RAFVR, reaching the

Rodney Sneath was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and a pioneer in limb salvage surgery for patients with bone tumours. He was born in Sheffield, the son of Ernest Saville Sneath, a master printer, who owned the ‘Saville Press’. His mother was Dorothy

Henry Forster was born in December 1888 and received his early education at Ashaw College, Durham, and St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool. He studied medicine at Liverpool University and graduated with honours in 1912. Before this he had obtained his MSc degree for his work with Sherrington in t

Ian Macfarlane, the son of James Macfarlane and Islena, née Cromarty, was born on 8 September 1925 in Uckfield, Sussex. He was educated at Seafield Park, Fareham, Hampshire, and received his medical training at the Middlesex Hospital. After qualifying in 1948 he held an appointment as casualty offic

Arnold Levene was a pathologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital who developed the technique of frozen section, meaning tissue samples could be analysed during operations. He was born on 7 December 1924 in Kingston upon Hull, the son of Solomon Levene, a Polish immigrant who became a commercial travell

Bill Southwood was born in London on 8 June 1925, the son of Stuart Walter Southwood, a dental surgeon, and Mildred Mary, the daughter of an heraldic stationer. He was educated at Charterhouse and Trinity College, Cambridge, before going on to Guy's in 1945. He qualified with a gold medal in obstetr

John Humphreys was a greatly respected consultant general surgeon in Southport from 1961 to 1990. His main interest was in gastro-intestinal surgery, but he was also a competent urologist. Fully committed to patients under his care, he visited them at weekends to check on their progress. In view of

Michael Anthony Brennan, usually known as Joe, was born on 8 September 1925 in Manchester. He was the son of Thomas Edward Brennan, manager of Finnigan's of Deansgate, Manchester, and Frances, née Mahon. He was educated at St Joseph's School, Moss Side, and Xaverian College, Victoria Park, under its

'Dare' Watkins was born in Bristol on 29 December 1925. His father, Henry Herbert Watkins, and mother, Brenda Florence née Taylor-Milton, were both dentists. He was educated at King William College, Isle of Man, where he was an enthusiastic sportsman. Later, he went to Liverpool University Medical S