Alder was born in Victoria, Australia and educated at Melbourne graduating from the University in 1949. After holding resident posts at the Prince Henry (1949-50) and Royal Children's (1951) hospitals, he came to England in 1953, served as Nuffield Demonstrator of Anatomy at Oxford, and took the Fel

Dillwyn Malcolm Ewart Thomas was born at Nantymoel, South Wales, in 1907 and was educated at Monmouth School where he played in the rugby football team and gained his first XV colours. He then entered St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School which he also represented at rugby and qualified in 1933.