Charles James Bagenal, OBE (1919), was born in 1877, the son of B F Bagenal (of Benekerry House, county Carlow, Ireland) and Ethel Hall-Dare. He was educated at St. Mark's School, Windsor and Camborne School of Mines. Bagenal served in the 45th (Dublin) Company of the Imperial Yeomanry (mounted infantry) during the South African War (1900-1902), and in the South African Horse, 1st Mounted Brigade during World War One (where he took part in campaigns in German South West Africa (1914-1915) and German East Africa (1915-1918). In 1917 Bagenal became District Political Officer in Tanganyika Territory, later becoming Senior Commissioner (1920) and Provincial Commissioner (1926). He retired from the Colonial Administrative Service in 1931.

Sir Alison Russell was born in 1875 and educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1900 he was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, and practised at the Chancery Bar 1900-1906. He worked in Uganda as Attorney General (1906-1912) and Acting Chief Secretary (1910-1911) before transferring to Cyprus as Attorney General (1912-1924). In 1924 he became Chief Justice, Tanganyika Territory. After his retirement in 1929, Sir Russell was Chairman or member of various Committees and Commissions and was also Legal Adviser to the Government of Malta (1934) and Assistant Legal Adviser to the Colonial Office (1943).