Francis William Shepherd, who was born in Nottingham on 6 December 1906, grew up in Castletown, Isle of Man. With a London BSc he studied medicine at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital. After holding posts in Hampstead and Ilford he was appointed RSO at Huddersfield in 1938 and, it is said, ser

Archibald Louis Percy Jeffery was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St Thomas's Hospital, where he won the Beaney Scholarship in surgery and pathology in 1924. After qualifying both with the Conjoint Diploma and the London MB, BS, he obtained the Fellowship of the College and the MS in 1926,

John Howkins was a gynaecological surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, on 17 December 1907, the son of John Drysdale Howkins, a civil engineer, and Helen Louise née Greenwood, the daughter of a bank manager. He was educated at Cargilfield Preparator

Douglas William Cowley Gawne was born Minneapolis, USA, on 5 September 1906, of Manx parentage. He was educated at King William School, Isle of Man, and later went up to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and to St Bartholomew's Hospital. He qualified MB BCh in 1932. After several house appointm

John Swinney was born in Durham on 12 June 1912, the son of Thomas Swinney, a business man, and Hannah, née Surtees. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Durham University where he graduated MB, BS in 1935, having won the Stephen Scott Scholarship, the Sewell Prize a

Munro Black was born on 23 January 1909 in Harton, County Durham, the son of Ernest Black, a clothier and amateur artist. He was educated at South Shields High School and Durham University Medical School, graduating with honours in 1931 and being awarded the Philipson Scholarship for the best marks

Arthur George Leigh was born on 22 March 1909 in Liverpool, the son of John McWhan Leigh. He was educated at Liverpool Collegiate School and Liverpool University Medical School. He qualified in 1933 and was appointed house surgeon and house physician at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. He then underto

David Waldron Smithers was born on 17 January 1908 in Knockholt, Kent, the home of his father Sir Waldron Smithers JP, stockbroker and staunchly Conservative MP, and of his grandfather Sir Alfred Smithers MP, chairman of the Canadian Grand Trunk Railway. A knighthood was clearly an obligatory achiev

Alexander James Edward Cave was professor of anatomy at St Batholomew's Hospital and an acknowledged world expert in comparative anatomy. He was born in Manchester on 13 September 1900, the eldest son of John Cave, a schoolmaster and Therèse Anne, née D'Hooghe. He was educated at Manchester High Sch