Frederick William Connaughton was a surgeon in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was born on 13 October 1912 in Perth, Western Australia, the son of Fergus Connaughton and Catherine Connaughton née Kilmartin. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, during which time he enlisted with the

James Grayton Brown was born in Victoria, Australia on 27 February 1913. He was educated at the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne University, Trinity College and at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He qualified MB BS Melbourne in 1936 and MS Melbourne in 1939. In 1939 he won the Hal