Margaret Moore White was born in Derby on 5 February 1902, the daughter of Henry Thomas White, a civil engineer and his wife Adriana, née McBean. Her early education was at Belmont School, Derby, but when she was 13 years old the family moved to London and until the age of 17 she went to the Tremart

Victor Horsley Hume Riddell was born at 4 Collegiate Terrace, Rotherham, Yorks, on 23 July 1905. His father was FRCS Ed and honorary surgeon to Torbay Hospital. He was educated at Birkdale Preparatory School, Sheffield, Clifton College and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and obtained his blue as a

Philip Vernon Reading was senior ENT surgeon at Guy's. He was born on 16 January 1906 and educated at St Dunstan's College, Catford, and Guy's Hospital Medical School. He gained distinctions in surgery and midwifery, and was awarded the University gold medal in 1931. In the same year he passed his F

Richard Harrington Franklin, or 'Dick' as he was always known, was born in London on 3 April 1906, the son of Major P C Franklin. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1930 and proceeded to a house post at St Thomas's, taking the Fellows

Harold Ridley pioneered the use of Perspex lenses in the treatment of cataract. He was born on 10 July 1906 in Kibworth, Leicestershire. His father, Nicholas Charles Ridley FRCS, was a former Naval surgeon who became an ophthalmic surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary. His mother, Margaret Parker - h

Alphonsus d'Abreu, 'Pon' to his many friends, was the younger son of a Birmingham general practitioner and was born on 5 April 1906. He was educated at Stonyhurst College and at Birmingham University. Following graduation in 1930 and resident and registrar appointments in Birmingham he became a lect