Raymond Purvis was born in Southampton on 30 December 1904, the second child and younger son of a consultant surgeon, William Prior Purvis, MD, MS, FRCS, and of Dora Raymond, daughter of Walter Raymond, a Somerset author. His paternal grandfather and great grandfather were also medically qualified.

Hermon Taylor was born in Workington on the Cumbrian coast on 11 May 1905. His father, Enoch Oliver Taylor, was a schoolmaster and his mother, Louise née Harrison, a schoolmistress. His father came to London to become Director of Education for Edmonton and Hermon was educated at Latymer School, from

Alan Doyle Everett was born in London on 8 October 1905, the first son of Herbert, a linen merchant, and Rhoda (Doyle) the daughter of an engineer. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St Bartholomew's Hospital qualifying MRCS in 1929 and gaining the FRCS and also the MS London in 1930. A