George Selvaratnam Sinnatamby was born on 10 April 1892, and was educated at St Thomas's College, Colombo, and the Ceylon Medical College, graduating LMS in 1916. As a student he won the Matthew gold medal and the Diploma medal. In 1920 he came to England for postgraduate studies at St Bartholomew's

Andrew McKie Reid was born on 14 April 1893 and educated at Liverpool University. In 1914 he interrupted his undergraduate career to be commissioned in the King's Liverpool Regiment, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916 when serving on the Somme with the Machine Gun Corps. In 1918 he was wound

George Armitage was born at Rothwell, near Leeds, on 20 April 1896 the son of George Armitage, a company director and chairman of the family brickworks. His mother was Annie Elizabeth Flocton, the daughter of a prison governor. He was educated at the village school at Ackworth and entered Leeds Medi