Hugh Hedley Skeoch was born on 18 December 1895 in Sydney, the second son of Hugh Skeoch, a mechanical engineer and Mabel, née Hedley, who came originally from Liverpool. Hugh was educated at Grafton Public and Hay High Schools in New South Wales, and then qualified in medicine from Sydney Universit

Graeme Gibson Talbot was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 1 February 1902, the son of Alfred Talbot, an eye and ENT surgeon, and Beatrice, née Gibson. He was educated at King's College, Auckland, where he was dux. He then went on to the Otago Medical School, where he was awarded the McCallum medal,