John Hamilton Barclay was born on 19 January 1887 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the son of John Cairns Barclay and his wife Janet, née Hamilton. He started his career in 1906 at the newly-opened Royal Victoria Infirmary, graduating MB BS with honours in 1911 and obtaining the MRCS LRCP in the same year. A

Timbrell Fisher was born at Bristol on 1 November 1887 the second son of Canon W H Fisher. He was educated at Clifton College, Bristol University, and St Bartholomew's Hospital qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1911. He was a house officer at Bristol General Hospital and demonstrator of surgic