John Ryle (physician)

He served in the military during World War I and afterwards qualified MD at the University of London.

Ryle was politically active at Cambridge, helping Jewish scholars emigrate from Germany and Austria before World War II.

During World War II, he was working at Guy's Hospital to help them prepare for the Blitz.

In this capacity he helped the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein get a wartime job at Guy's as a porter.

In February 1940 he contested the 1940 Cambridge University by-election standing as an Independent Progressive.