Gerrit Mes was born at Dubbeldoorn, the Netherlands, on 30 June 1903 and went to South Africa with his parents in 1914. His father was a general medical practitioner at Bronkhorstspruit. After matriculating in Pretoria, Mes was a teacher for one year at Dullstroom before he enrolled for a three-year

William Francis was born on 10 June 1906 in Twechar, Dumbartonshire, the eldest son of the Reverend James Francis and his wife Janet Bilsland, née Mackellar. He was educated at the Greenock Academy and at Glasgow University, where he distinguished himself by winning the BMA Essay Prize. He qualified

Alan Nicholson was born in Belfast on 3 November 1908 and educated at Altrincham County High School and Victoria University, Manchester. He qualified MB ChB in 1932 and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1941 to 1946 in the Middle East and India, becoming a lieutenant colonel. After demo

When an aspiring surgeon wins the Hallett Prize in the Primary FRCS examination, passes the Final FRCS in the following month and later wins the Jacksonian Prize (a prize double not hitherto achieved) then it is certain that a surgeon will have rare qualities and is one likely to succeed. Such a man