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

Leon Casimir Louis Gonet was born in 1916 in Simla, where his father was deputy director-general of Indian Posts and Telegraphs. He was educated in various schools in India, and proved to be both an able student and a natural games player. In 1933 the family moved to England and Leon gained a place