This information is taken directly from Lieut.-Colonel de Quehen's papers and is not fully comprehensive.

Lieut.-Colonel Basil Maurice de Quehen (b c1908) was educated at St. Edward's School, Oxford, then sent to farm in South Africa where he took a position as farm assistant in Orange Free State. He eventually gave up farming, taking a job as costing clerk at Champions Limited Department Store, Bloemfontein. After a few months, he was transferred to the company's maize mills, Kroonstadt as clerk and storeman. He then left the company and travelled to Rhodesia, arriving at Salisbury in 1928 and finding work as a car and motor spares salesman at Imperial Motors Ltd.. The firm folded shortly afterwards, and he joined the British South Africa Police c1929-1930, serving in the Umtali and Salisbury districts.

During World War Two he served in the Rhodesian military forces and spent six months at the Middle East Staff College, Haifa. He was then commissioned in the Intelligence Corps, advancing with the Persia and Iraq Force between northern Persia and Georgia. After leaving the Persia and Iraq Force, he served in India and Burma.