Norman Lewis White, the son of a chemist, was born on 8 September 1898, at Waterford, Ireland. He was educated at Leighton Park School and St John's College, Cambridge, before entering University College Hospital Medical School in 1921 with a Goldsmid Scholarship. On qualifying he was house physicia

Born on 22 November 1903, son of Professor William Nixon, Professor of Mathematics at Malta University, he was educated at Epsom College and St Mary's Hospital where he was Epsom Scholar in 1922. Qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1927, he was appointed house surgeon at St Mary's and, later, in