Thomas Vibert Pearce was born on 26 March 1900 and educated at Newport Grammar School, Isle of Wight. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service and became a pilot. Eighteen months later he entered St Thomas's and in 1923 graduated MB BS. Resident appointments followed at St Thomas'

John Herbert Thompson was born on 2 April 1900. He was educated at Bootham, York, whence he proceeded to University College Hospital, London, qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1923. After house appointments and obtaining the FRCS in 1928 he joined the Colonial Service and was posted as a surgi

Erichsen Sutton Page was born at Solihull where his grandfather and his father had been in medical practice. He went to Solihull Grammar School and thence to Cambridge as a scholar of Selwyn College. He was a brilliant student and graduated BA in 1919 with a first-class in the natural science tripos

Philip Hack, the eldest child of Lewis Joel Hack, a merchant, was born on 25 May 1900 at Saduve, Lithuania. The family soon moved to Irene, Transvaal, South Africa. Philip was educated first at Hope Mill School, Cape Town, and then at Pretoria Boys' High School before entering the University of Cape