Cecil Wood Flemming, the son of Percy Flemming, ophthalmic surgeon at University College Hospital and Dr Elizabeth Flemming, physician to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, was born on 20 August 1902 at Ewhurst, Surrey. He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Oxford, moving to Uni

'Tom' Morris was born in 1899 at Adelaide, where he started to read medicine, but interrupted his studies to enlist during the first world war, narrowly surviving the Spanish 'flu epidemic in 1918 aboard a troopship. After the war he came to England to follow in his father's footsteps at St Thomas's

Robert Victor Cooke was born at Berkeley, Gloucestershire, on 17 May 1902, the eldest son of John Cooke and Rose Eva O'Neill. He was educated at Lydney Grammar School, on the opposite side of the Severn estuary. He entered Bristol University to study chemistry, but later transferred to the faculty o

Gavin Hamilton Livingstone was born at Paisley on 22 December 1904 where his father was in general practice. He was the third child in the family, and his elder brother and sister both became members of the medical profession. His brother, Dr James L Livingstone, was a consultant physician at King's

Robert Milnes Walker was born on 2 August 1903, the younger brother of John Henry (qv). He too was educated at Oundle School, where he became public schools gymnastic champion, and at University College Hospital where he graduated MB, BS (gold medal) in 1926. He was one of the last house surgeons to

Thomas Holmes Sellors, the only son of Dr Thomas Blanchard Sellors, a general practitioner and of Anne Oliver Sellors (née McSparron) was born on 7 April 1902, at Wandsworth. A few years later his father moved his practice to Southend-on-Sea and Tom, as he was always known, went to Alleyn Court Prep

Born on 24 October, 1903, the son of Elvina and Herbert Brock. Educated at Christ’s Hospital he entered Guy’s Medical School, with an arts scholarship, at the age of 17. As a medical student he early showed the brilliance and force of character which were to mark his whole career. He won the Treasur