Nathan was born on 14 July 1907 in London City to London born parents Jacob, a boot clicker, and Rebecca nee Barnett and he was the youngest of six children. In 1939, Nathan worked as a managing director of an industrial catering company before enlisting into the Pioneer Corps.

In 1940, he was based at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge in London, and on 12 November 1940 he was a passenger on a train at Sloan Square Station. A German bomb fell into the station and killed 37 and injured 79 passengers and destroyed the ticket hall, escalators and the glazed roof over the tracks.