Born at Kotahena, Colombo, Ceylon on 30 July 1884, the eldest child of Francis Dionysius Alles, broker of Whittall and Co, and Mary Rodrigo Perumal his wife. His father's brother was a Roman Catholic priest well known in Ceylon, the Rev P M Alles, OMI. He was educated at St Joseph's College, Colo

Born on 9 February 1888 the third son of A V Maybury MD, he was educated at Epsom College and St Thomas's Hospital. Here he won the Musgrove scholarship and the Cheselden and Treasurer's medals and shared the anatomy scholarship. He qualified in 1909 and was appointed house surgeon to (Sir) G H Maki