John Desmond Cronin was born on 1 March 1916, the son of John Patrick Cronin. He received his medical training at London University where he qualified in 1939. Thereafter he held house officer appointments at St Bartholomew's (1939-1940) and the Royal Free (1941-1942) Hospitals. He joined the Royal

Alfred Bingold was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, and Lewisham Hospital. He was born in London on 27 February 1913. His father died when he was very young, and his mother, Maria Martha, née Schwager, remarried. Alfred was adopted by her second husband and took his