Anthony Gordon Palin was born in Wallington, Surrey, on 29 July 1907, the son of Frederick Palin, a barrister. He was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, Oxford University and St Thomas's Hospital, qualifying in 1933. After completing post-graduate training he was appointed consultant ophthal

Edward Zorab was born in Southampton on 28 October 1909, the second of six sons of Arthur Zorab, an ophthalmic surgeon, and Olive Parsons, the daughter of F J Parsons, the printer and publisher. He was educated at Cheltenham College, and then at Guy's Hospital Medical School where his father and fou