Born in 1895 at Glasgow, he was educated at Grosvenor School, Carlisle and apprenticed to a chemist there. He served in the Black Watch through the war of 1914-18 and then began his medical training at King's College Hospital, where he served as house surgeon and surgical registrar after qualifying

Reginald Eric Norrish was born on 15 April 1900. He qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1927 at St Bartholomew's Hospital after a previous qualification in pharmacy and was a demonstrator in the anatomy department. He passed the FRCS in 1929 and joined the staff of the Royal Northern Hospital and

Cyril Fletcher ('Peter') Critchley was born on 7 July 1909 in Dulwich, south London, the son of James Critchley, a barrister, and his wife Margaret, née Fletcher. He was educated at Dulwich College and St Thomas's Hospital, and qualified in 1934. As a student, he fenced for London University. His

Anthony Richard Charles Higham was born at Murree, Punjab, on 11 June, 1907, eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel B Higham, CIE, IMS, and Florence Parsons, whose father was acting Governor of Madras Presidency. He was educated at Epsom College, 1919-24, King's College, University of London, 1924-27 and

Ronald Frank Guymer was born in London on 7 June 1901, the eldest child of Frank Guymer, wholesale corn and grain merchant, one of whose wharves now supports the Festival Hall. Guymer was educated at Durston House, Ealing, and Westminster School where he played football for the school and gained sev

Tom Wilson was consultant surgeon to the Eastbourne group of hospitals. He was born on 28 November 1904 at Antony in Cornwall, the son of Thomas Wilson, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland who had served as an Army surgeon during the Boer war, and Edith Mary Crichton (née Boxer), th

John Bruce was born in Dalkeith on 6 March 1905. There is no record of his early education. He graduated with honours from the University of Edinburgh in 1928. His first resident appointments were at the Royal Infirmary and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, and he then worked as an