He was born on 10 September 1874, son of John Barton Arundel Acland, Member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand and a barrister, and Emily Weddell Harper his wife, who was a daughter of the first Bishop of Christchurch, Primate of New Zealand. J B A Acland was the sixth son of Sir Thomas Dyke

Educated at Leeds, he served as house surgeon at the General Infirmary and the Hospital for Women and Children, after qualifying with first-class honours and winning many prizes. He then went into general practice at Holmfirth near Huddersfield. During the first world war he served in the RAMC. A