Francis Leonard was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1902 and obtained his medical education at Otago University, qualifying there in 1925. After various resident posts at Auckland Hospital he entered private practice in the same city in 1928. After two years he moved to England and again started

William Henry Maitland Smith was born in 1907 and after early education at George Watson's College entered Edinburgh University for his medical studies, qualifying in 1929. After initial house appointments at Birkenhead General Hospital and the Royal South Liverpool Hospital he entered general pract

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

William Francis was born on 10 June 1906 in Twechar, Dumbartonshire, the eldest son of the Reverend James Francis and his wife Janet Bilsland, née Mackellar. He was educated at the Greenock Academy and at Glasgow University, where he distinguished himself by winning the BMA Essay Prize. He qualified

Karl Nissen, born in Otago in 1906, had a Danish father and an English mother. He was educated in New Zealand and entered the medical school in Otago, where he qualified in 1932. He first went into general practice before deciding to specialise. He undertook research into several generations of a fa