Air Commodore Robert William Povey was an orthopaedic surgeon in the Royal Air Force. He was born on 11 April 1921, the son of Henry John Povey, an optician, and Jane Dorothy Povey née Reid. He was educated at Poole Grammar School in Dorset, where he was house captain, school prefect and head boy an

Noël Blockley was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Glasgow. He was born in Bolton on 22 December 1921, the son of Frederick Austyn Blockley, a leather factory manufacturer, and Nora Blockley née Jackson, a teacher. He was educated at Miss Coffee's Primary, Bolton School and then Kingswood School

Group Captain William Harries was a surgeon in the RAF. Born in Brawdy, Pembrokeshire on 17 October 1921, he was the oldest child of Ernest Henry Lloyd Harries, a farmer, and his wife Priscilla Winifred née Griffiths. He was educated at Treffgarne Owen Council School and Haverfordwest Grammar School

Giles Romanes was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Royal Eye Infirmary, Weymouth. He was born in Dublin on 8 December 1918. His father, Francis John Romanes, was of independent means; his mother was Doris Helena MacNaughton Romanes née Wright. He was educated at Eton and then Pembroke College,

Anthony Hugh Cyril Ratliff (known as 'Tony' or 'Ratty') was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Bristol Royal Infirmary. He was born in London on 18 August 1921, the first child of Sidney Ratliff, a leather manufacturer, and Mary Ratliff née Plaskett. He was educated at William Hulme's Grammar Schoo

Alan Falconer had a long and varied surgical career in the Royal Navy, practising initially as a general surgeon before training as an obstetrician and gynaecologist. After he left the Navy, he became a school doctor at Sedbergh School in Cumbria. He was born in Darlington on 2 June 1921, the eldest

Leonard Easton was an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the London Hospital. His background was unusual. His parents, Leonard Tytherleigh Easton, an elderly insurance broker, and Maria Bertrand Easton née de Lis met in Japan and he was born in Tientsin, China, on 11 July 1921. His education at Harro

Gordon Lionel Bourne was a consultant in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was born on 3 June 1921 at Sudbury in Derbyshire, the second son of Thomas Holland Bourne, a farmer, and Lily Anne Bourne née Clewlow, a former Barts nurse. His primary scho

John Thompson Rowling was a consultant surgeon in Sheffield at the Royal Hospital and later the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. He was born in Leeds on 11 March 1921 into a family whose medical connections dated back to Elizabethan times. His father, Herbert Samuel Thompson Rowling, was one of the old s

Charles Henry de Boer was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Liverpool. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, on 2 September 1921, where his father was chief colonial medical officer. He was sent to England for his schooling, and was cared for by his great aunt, Alice de Boer, a doctor. He g