Frank Nicholson was a senior surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary. He was born in Cheshire on 6 September 1909, the son of Charles James Nicholson, a cotton merchant. Educated at St Bee's School, Cumbria, he had a distinguished academic record before proceeding to St Catherine's College, Cambridge,

John Spencer-Bernard was born on 26 May 1907 in Ootacamund, India, the elder son of Sir Charles and Lady Edith Spencer. His father was ICS Puisne Judge of High Court of Judicature, Madras, while his uncle A J Spencer was editor of the standard textbook *Landlord and tenant*. It was in 1955 in relati