James Reid was born in Bournemouth on 24 October 1906, the son of George Alexander Reid, a general practitioner, and his wife Muriel, née Hopwood. He was educated at Hailey Preparatory School in Bournemouth, and Marlborough College, Wiltshire. He then went to Oxford University and on to St George's

Roland Maitland Alderton was born on 20 June 1902 in Hadleigh, Suffolk, son of David Simpson, a miller and corn merchant, and Margaret McLachlan, daughter of a clergyman. He was educated at Tonbridge School and the London Hospital, qualifying MRCS LRCP in 1930 and MB BS in 1931. After working as

William Robert Macfarlane Drew was born in Sydney on 4 October 1907, the son of William Hughes Drew and Ethel Macfarlane. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and Sydney University, graduating with honours in 1930. After house posts in Sydney Hospital he joined the RAMC and was posted to India a

Sadanandan Manidas was a senior staff physician/surgeon in accident and emergency medicine at the Whittington Hospital, London. He was born in Njekkad, Kerala, India, and studied medicine at Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala. He qualified MB BS in 1979. He held a house officer post at Trivandrum G