Ernest Arthur Freeman was born on 20 September 1900 at Streatham, London, and educated at Westminster City School. He was called up in the last few weeks of the first world war and served as a private in the Royal West Surreys. With his ex-serviceman's grant he entered St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1

Arthur Joseph Wrigley (Joe) was born at Clitheroe, Lancashire, on 5 May 1902, the son of Canon Joseph Wrigley and after attending the Royal Grammar School, Clitheroe, and later Rossall School, he entered St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1924. He gained a distinction in pathology in

Milroy Aserappa Paul, the eldest son of Samuel Chellar Paul, one time senior surgeon to the Colombo General Hospital, and of Dora Eleanor Paul (née Aserappa) was born in Colombo on 20 January 1900. His mother was the daughter of Dr Simon de Melho Aserappa, MD Edinburgh. Milroy was educated at Ladies

Eric William Riches, the second child and eldest son of William Riches, a schoolmaster, and of Kate Riches (née Rowbotham), was born on 29 July 1897, at Alford, Lincolnshire. He was educated at St Dunstan's, Alford, and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Alford, before securing an entrance scholarship