Victor Pearse was born on 12 November 1913, the son of Arthur Victor Pearse, of the New Zealand Government Service, and his wife Constance, née Clark. He was educated at Otago Boys' High School and Otago Medical School, graduating in 1941. After junior posts, he joined up. His first posting in 1942

David Schlicht was born in Beaufort, Victoria, Australia, on 25 July 1924. His father, Theodore, was a stock and station agent. He studied at Melbourne University and St Vincent's Hospital and gained honours in surgery. He came to Britain to study, and in 1951 he was demonstrator in anatomy at Ca

Geoffrey Gurner Wyllie was born in Adelaide on 16 May 1923 the second son of Kenneth Robert Wyllie and Maude Hoban (née Gurner). He was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide, before entering the medical faculty of the University of Adelaide and the Royal Adelaide Hospital, qualifying in 1946. His