Ernest Harold Carr Harper was a consultant surgeon at West Kent Hospital, Maidstone. He was born in Surrey in 1908, where his father Harry was managing director of a shipping company. His mother was Constance née Carr. He was educated at Hurstpierpoint School, before going to St Thomas's to study me

'Uncle' Tom Griffin was born in Alton where his father, Thomas Noel, was a vicar. His mother was Mary née Rose. He studied medicine at St Mary's, where he qualified in 1934. After junior posts, he specialised in surgery and was appointed honorary assistant surgeon to Scarborough Hospital in 1939. On

John Allison Strachan Marr was born in Knysna and was educated at Rondebosch Boys' High School. His father was the first doctor at Knysna. He graduated in medicine at the University of Cape Town and spent four years in postgraduate training in England, obtaining the Conjoint Board Diploma in 1933, a

Lionel Zelick Cosin, son of Benjamin Cosin, a tobacconist, and his wife Mary, née Magoon, was born in London on 8 November 1910. He was educated at Westminster City School and Guy's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1933. His brother, the radiologist Dr C F Cosin, was senior to him at Guy's. Hi

Eric Vernon was born on 29 November, 1909, in Marple, Cheshire, the son of Arthur Vernon, furnisher and antique dealer. He was educated at Stockport Secondary School (Hallam Scholar) and Manchester University where he graduated BSc in 1930 and MB, ChB in 1933, winning prizes for pathology and paedia