Raymond was born on 28 September 1989 at Newnham, Hertfordshire only son of Ernest William and Florence Fanny (nee Gray) Brown. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
Thomas was the third son of Richard Victor E and Martha (nee Hall) Westrope, born on 12 October 1898 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire. Thomas was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell for primary education and then went to East Anglian School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk as a boarder for secondary education.