George Perkins was born in Staines, Middlesex, on 22 September 1892, the second child and elder son of George James Perkins, a butcher, and Lilian Straker, a retired stationer. Perkins was deeply indebted to his father whom he described as a 'marvellous man' who left school at the age of 12 and late

Hugh Reid was born, one of twins, in Bebington, Cheshire, on 19 January 1893, the son of a forwarding agent. The family soon moved to Lancashire and Hugh went to Merchant Taylor's School, Crosby. His studies at the Liverpool Medical School were interrupted by the first world war and he served as a S