Frank Clare Wilkinson was born in Wallasey on 31 August 1889. His father, also Frank, was a Liverpool pilot and his mother, Annie, née Clare, came from a family connected with shipping. Both his grandfathers were ship's captains. He was educated at Wallasey Grammar School and Liverpool University. H

Ralph Cocker was born on 18 April 1908, the elder son of Frank B. Cocker and Mary, nee Wildman. After early education at William Hulme's Grammar School he entered Victoria University, Manchester, for dental studies. He was awarded the Preston Prize and Medal and qualified as a dental surgeon in 1930

Eric Wilfred Fish was born on 30 January 1894, the son of a Methodist Minister. He was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, and his first qualification was in dentistry at Manchester. This was followed by the MB ChB in 1916 and service in the RAMC during the latter two years of the Great War. After a