Valentine Andrew James Swain was a paediatric surgeon in London's East End. He was born on 21 February 1910, a twin, in Ilford, Essex, into a family with a strong medical tradition. His father, James Steel Swain, and grandfather were both doctors. His mother was Mary Blanche née MacMunn. He went fro

Eric Travers was a consultant surgeon to Sedgefield and Stockton and Thornaby hospitals. He was born on 7 June 1910 in Brantingham, Yorkshire, where his father John (‘Jack’) Francis Travers was a solicitor. His mother was Beatrice Mary Horsley. The eldest of three, he and his two younger sisters (Ma

Bernard George Albert Lilwall was born at Ramsgate on 21 November 1914, the eldest son of John Edward Lilwall, a company director and Georgina, née Bomford. He was educated at Chatham Grammar School, Ramsgate, Belmont Preparatory School, Mill Hill, and Mill Hill School before studying at Guy's Hospi

Alan Graham Apley was born in London on 10 November 1914, the youngest son of a Jewish immigrant tailor from Poland, Samuel Apley. His mother was Mary Hilda, nee Tandos. He attended St Ethelburga's school where he came top of all London in the eleven-plus equivalent of the day. He subsequently atten

John Eric Richardson was a consultant surgeon at the London Hospital. He was born on 24 February 1916, to Beatrice née Sharpe and Cecil George Richardson, a general practitioner in Loughborough. He was educated at Clifton, where he played rugby in the 1st XV, and entered the London Hospital Medical

Evan Denham was born in Brisbane on 18 May 1913, but was brought up in New Zealand where his father, Henry George Denham, was Professor of Chemistry and Rector of Canterbury University. His mother was Helen Horrell, of farming stock. He was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch, and Canterbury

Born on Christmas Day 1902, the son of Henry Thomas Blake and Maud MacIntyre, Henry Elliot Blake was educated at Dean Close, Cheltenham, Queen's College, Cambridge, and St Thomas's Hospital, London. His father was a member of the Institute of Water Engineers and a County Councillor and Justice of th

Oliver Mansfield was a consultant plastic surgeon to the West Midlands area. He was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, in 1912, the son of Percival Aubertine Mansfield, a general practitioner and Kathleen, a matron of a private nursing home. There was a strong medical tradition in the family - two of his cous

John Bernard Kinmonth, the elder son and eldest of four children of Dr George Henry Kinmonth and Delia Kinmonth (née Daly), was born on 9 May 1916 in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland. As a result of the troubles the family migrated to England in 1920 when Dr Kinmonth set up his general practice i

Joseph Patrick Irwin Reidy (Pete) was born in London on 30 October 1907, the second son of four brothers and three daughters: his father Jerome Reidy MD was a general practitioner, son of a doctor, who practised in the Commercial Road and who had married an Irish nurse, Miss F W Dawson. His educatio

Edward Ernest Thurlow Taylor was born in Bolton, Lancashire on 3 February, 1910. He was the younger son of Herbert Taylor, a cotton manufacturer, and of Edith Taylor (née Thurlow). His early life was varied and interesting. He was educated at Cheltenham College, and went from there to Balliol Colleg