Harold Walter Henry Shepperd was a consultant otolaryngologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast with a special interest in head and neck surgery. He was born in Belfast on 24 May 1924, the first child of Reginald Henry Shepperd, a director of Ulster bank, and Kathleen Maude Shepperd née West.

Bernard Juby was a consultant ENT surgeon at the Ipswich Hospital. He was born in Stowmarket, Suffolk, on 9 April 1925, the only son of L H Juby, a draper, and Ethel née Quinton. He was educated at Culford School. His early wish was to be a farmer, but was encouraged by his mother to read medicine.

James Dixon was an ENT surgeon in Glasgow and later Devon. He was born on 28 September 1921 in Trong, Perak, Malaya, where his father, William John Dixon, was working as a doctor. His mother was Grace Gertrude née Holmes. He was educated at St Peter’s, Exmouth, and Epsom College, from which he went