David Matthew Mitchell was born in New Zealand in 1895 and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School and at Otago Medical School. He qualified in 1920 and in 1921 entered general practice. In 1925 he came to Great Britain and obtained the FRCS Edinburgh. In 1929 he returned to England a second tim

Maurice Backwell was born in Hull on 21 January 1900, and educated at The Old College, Windermere, and Charterhouse. Towards the end of the first world war he served for a short time in the East Yorkshire Regiment before starting his medical studies at Leeds University. He graduated MB ChB, in 1925

John Arthur Rolland O'Regan (Ro) was born in Wellington on 1 June 1904, the son of Mr Justice O'Regan. He was educated at St Patrick's College, Wellington, and graduated from the Otago Medical School in 1928. He was house surgeon at Wellington Hospital and went to London in 1929 for surgical trainin