Edward Grainger Muir was born on 18 February 1906 in North China where his father was a medical missionary. He was educated at Eltham College, and the Middlesex Hospital Medical School where he distinguished himself by winning the Senior Broderip Scholarship and qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma

Born on 22 November 1903, son of Professor William Nixon, Professor of Mathematics at Malta University, he was educated at Epsom College and St Mary's Hospital where he was Epsom Scholar in 1922. Qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1927, he was appointed house surgeon at St Mary's and, later, in

Arthur Capel Herbert Bell was born at Epsom, Surrey, on 18 September 1904. His father was John Herbert Bell, a solicitor who was the eldest son of Dr William Bell, general practitioner at Wallasey. The second son, and uncle of Arthur Bell, was William Blair Bell, first President of the College of Ob

Harold Jackson Burrows was born at Harrow, Middlesex, on 9 May 1902. His father was Harold Burrows FRCS and his grandfather was a graduate of St Bartholomew's Hospital, who became a Surgeon-Major in the Bombay Army. He was educated at Edinburgh House, Lee-on-Solent and Cheltenham College, where he w