Patrick William Cotter was a general surgeon at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand. He was born in Runanga, New Zealand, on 17 July 1919, the son of William Makuri (Bill) Cotter and Sophie Mary Adelaide Cotter née Appleby. At the time of Pat's birth, his father was a GP, but a year or two later the

Thomson was born on 14 July 1919 in Brisbane, the son of Frederick Thorpe Thomson, an insurance executive, and his wife Ann Margaret, née Evans. He was educated at Brisbane Boys' College, before winning an open scholarship to the University of Queensland where he won the W N Robertson medal for firs

Roy Yarwood was born in 1914 and attended King Edward's School, Birmingham, where he excelled at shooting, becoming school captain, and also won a medal as a member of the gymnastics team; he went on to continue his shooting career at University and again distinguished himself. He entered Birming