Hari Ker was born at Stafford on 4 November 1924 and received his medical education at King's College, London, and Charing Cross Hospital, where he qualified MRCS, LRCP and MB, BS London in 1948. He was awarded the Pickering Prize at King's College and the public health prize at Charing Cross Hospit

Richard Anthony Payne, known to all as 'Tony', was a consultant general surgeon at the North Middlesex Hospital in London. He was born on 17 July 1921, in Worcester, the son of Herbert George Payne, a master at Haberdasher's Aske's School, and Jessica Sweeney. He was educated at his father's school