John Howkins was a gynaecological surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, on 17 December 1907, the son of John Drysdale Howkins, a civil engineer, and Helen Louise née Greenwood, the daughter of a bank manager. He was educated at Cargilfield Preparator

Douglas William Cowley Gawne was born Minneapolis, USA, on 5 September 1906, of Manx parentage. He was educated at King William School, Isle of Man, and later went up to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and to St Bartholomew's Hospital. He qualified MB BCh in 1932. After several house appointm