Frederick Gordon Kergin was born at Port Simpson, BC, January 11 1907, the son of W T Kergin, MB. After preliminary schooling at Prince Rupert he attended the University of Toronto, earning his BA in biological and medical sciences in 1927 and the MD in 1930, both with honours. He won the George Arm

Noel James Bonnin was born on Christmas Day 1909 in Adelaide. He was the son of Winifred, née Turpin, and James Atkinson Bonnin who had become a Fellow of the College in 1898 and was a Foundation Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in 1927. His older brother, Lansell, was an orthopaed