Alfred was the second child of George and Annie (nee Spring) Beale and was born in Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire. In 1911 the family lived in Odsey, Ashwell Station.
Percy was born in the 1st week of December 1899 at Finsbury Park, Islington, Middlesex, the elder son of Mark William and Ruth (nee Brown) Bullimore. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.
Alfred was born in Bourn, Cambridgeshire (second of five sons) to John and Eliza (nee Reuben) Dodson, who lived in Caldecote.