Deryk Anthony Lawrence

Deryk Anthony Lawrence was a kind thoughtful and gentle man with a keen sense of humour and at times a quiet stubborn streak. He was born in Beckenham, the first child of Elsa and Cyril Lawrence. He lived in Beckenham or thereabouts for all his early life. In 1941 he and all his family survived their house being bombed, towards the end of the blitz. He attended St Dunstan’s school in south London, but for much of his time at the school it was evacuated to Reigate because of the outbreak of war. He gained entry to medical school at St Thomas’ Hospital, part of London University, in 1944. The medical school had also been evacuated by this time, to Hydestyle Hospital near Godalming in Surrey. While studying there in 1944, he and fellow students just missed being hit by a doodlebug that flew over the rooftops of the hospital to explode in the next field. After the end of the war Deryk continued his studies at St Thomas’ and he qualified 1950.He did his house jobs at Epsom …