Born at New Barnet on 9 October 1881, he was the son of William Henry Girling Ball who was in business as a carpet warehouseman in Gresham Street, EC. Educated at Merchant Taylors' School, then in Charterhouse Square, from 1894 to 1899, he entered St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he quickly made a n

Born in Eastbourne on 27 September 1908 to D G Gilbert, Headmaster of Roborough School, Eastbourne, Gilbert attended his father's school and then went to St Bartholomew's Hospital where he qualified with the conjoint examination in 1932 and became house surgeon to Girling Ball and Blundell Bankart.

Donald McGavin was a general surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He was born on 23 September 1906 in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of Mary Allan née Chapple and Major General Sir Donald Johnstone McGavin, FRCS, who had been director general of the New Zealand Army Medical Services at the end of

Charles Hamblen-Thomas was born on 25 March 1887 at Paignton, Devon, the eldest child of Charles Kaines Thomas, a civil engineer, and Evelyn Hamblen. He was educated at Glengorse School, Eastbourne, before entering St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1914 and after house appoin

William Eric Marcus Mitchell was born at Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, on 29 April 1897, the son of Dr John Finlay Mitchell, a medical practitioner and Anna, nee Shaw. His early education was at Campbell College, Belfast, and after leaving school he joined the Royal Irish Rifles, servi

Born on 4 August 1907 the son of W W Coltart MRCS of Epsom he was educated at Epsom College and St Bartholomew's Hospital, to which he had won a scholarship. He qualified in 1930 and was, in succession, house surgeon to Sir Girling Ball, J P Hosford, R C Elmslie, S L Higgs and Sir Harold Gillies. Fo

Frederick Godsalve Ward was born at West Byfleet, Surrey, on 30 November 1909, the son of Dr Vere Godsalve Ward, a general practitioner, and his wife Janey, née Corry. He was educated at Rugby School before going up to New College, Oxford, for his pre-clinical studies. After leaving Oxford he went t

Douglas Robertson was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal Hospital, Sheffield. He was born in London in 1919 of Scottish parents. His father, Falconer Robertson, was a banker, and his mother, Jane Mary Duff, was a teacher. Douglas was educated at the Stationers’ Company School. He entered St B

Born in London on 23 November 1893, the eldest son of Cesare Corsi, an Italian provision merchant, and Alice Bertarelli, his wife. He was educated at Uppingham and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he took second-class honours in the natural sciences tripos part 1, 1916. He took his clinical traini

William Melville Capper was born on 25 January 1908 at Newport, Monmouthshire, and went to Canford School where he did well in classics. He came to St Bartholomew's Hospital for his medical course, where he also distinguished himself as a formidable rugby forward. He qualified with the Conjoint Dipl

John Hosford was born in London on 24 July 1900, the son of Benjamin Hosford, a medical practitioner in Hornsey, Essex, and his wife Anne, née Haines. He came from a remarkable medical family, three brothers, two cousins and two uncles all being doctors. He was educated at Highgate School and St Bar

Arthur Jones was a pioneering radiotherapist. He was born in Wrexham, North Wales, on 1 February 1919. His father, Edward Hugh Jones, died when he was young and he was brought up by his mother, Margaret Lloyd Jones. He was educated at Grove Park School, where he became interested in physics, and his