Arthur Reginald Lister was born in Totteridge, north of London, on 4 April 1895 into a distinguished medical family. Lord Lister was his great-uncle, his father, Sir William Lister, and his cousin, Arthur Lister, were well-known eye surgeons, and one of his brothers was a consultant physician at Ply

William Daggett, the only son of a Yorkshire general practitioner, was born at Boroughbridge on 2 October, 1900. From a preparatory school at Marston Moor he went as an exhibitioner to Sedberg School and then to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. After securing a first class Natural Science Trip

Cecil Arthur Horder was born on 23 August 1896, the son of a medical missionary in China who was distinguished by the award of the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for his work on leprosy. Cecil was educated at Weymouth College, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge; and a

Walter Graham ("Bill") Scott-Brown was born in London on 17 February 1897, the eldest son of George Andrew Scott-Brown and Louise (née Tindall). His father was city manager of the C M & G Insurance Company. Bill, as he was known to all his family and friends, saw active service as a combatant off