Brews was the son of a general practitioner, Richard Vincent Brews, LRCSI, and his wife Edith Manifold; he was born in North Woolwich in 1902. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School and became a medical student at the London Hospital in 1920. After gaining many prizes he qualified in 1924,

George Frederick Gibberd was born on 18 April 1902 and grew up in Dulwich. He was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School and Guy's Hospital and qualified in 1923. He became MS (London) in 1926 and FRCS in 1927 and a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1933. He was ele