Hugh Arnold Freeman Dudley was professor of surgery at St Mary's Hospital, London, and foundation professor of surgery at Monash University, Melbourne. He was born in Dublin on 1 July 1925, the third child and first son of Walter Lionel Dudley, a schoolmaster, and Ethel Marion Dudley née Smith. He was educated at Heath Grammar School, Halifax, and then went on to study medicine at Edinburgh University, where he won several prizes and topped his year in 1947. After house posts in Edinburgh, he joined the Army and served for two years as a medical officer in the Parachute Regiment. He left the Army with the rank of major. He returned to Edinburgh for his surgical training. Here he was influenced by the distinguished surgeon Sir James Learmouth. Dudley became interested in the body's response to injury, and he undertook a fellowship with Francis Moore at Harvard, the world authority on this area. His research formed the basis of his ChM thesis, for which he was awarded the gold medal and the Chiene medal of Edinburgh University in 1958. From Edinburgh he was appointed as a senior lecturer in the department of surgery at Aberdeen University at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. In 1963 he was invited to become the foundation professor of surgery at the then newly-established Monash University, Melbourne, based at Alfred Hospital. He developed a strong research base in his department, and encouraged young trainee surgeons who were studying for higher degrees. He was active within the Surgical Research Society of Australasia and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Along with other civilian surgeons, physicians and anaesthetists from Australia, Dudley served in the Vietnam War. He was decorated by the South Vietnam government for removing a live shell detonator cap from the abdomen of a wounded civilian. In 1973 Dudley returned to the UK, as professor of surgery at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. Here he introduced evidence based medicine to the surgical unit, together with strict record keeping. He expected high standards from his trainees, and they were worked very hard, but most felt they learnt a lot from the experience. Dudley wrote extensively throughout his career, including editing and contributing to the classic textbook *Operative surgery* (London, Butterworths). He was president of the Surgical Research Society in the UK. He was particularly proud to become chairman of the *British Journal of Surgery*, and transformed the *Journal* from a traditional and rather staid contribution to the surgical literature, by changing the publisher and the then owner of *Journal* from John Wright of Bristol to the publisher, Butterworth. In this negotiation he proved that the *Journal* belonged to the surgeons and established a company, The British Journal of Surgery, which became the owner of the *Journal*, with all rights to the *Journal* from its establishment. This enabled the editors to negotiate the content and the size of the *Journal* with freedom, dependent only on making a profit, which was used for the benefit of surgery. Thanks to Hugh's focus on excellence the editors improved the presentation, content and profitability of the *Journal*. It was this dedication to excellence which tarnished Hugh's image with his colleagues, house staff and students. He transformed the standard of clinical practice wherever he worked by setting an example of commitment to the patient, which involved seeing the sick patient several times in the day, and ensuring that all instructions on management were meticulously followed. His management of fluid balance was exemplary, ensuring that the patient had the best possible chance of recovery. His reputation of irritability was unjust; it was his passion for excellence in patient care, research and writing that gave him a reputation of directness, but his motive of achieving excellence could never be doubted. Socially, he was a pleasure, particularly as host of a dinner, usually within the role of chairman of the *British Journal of Surgery*, displaying a breadth of knowledge of great erudition. Within this part of his character was a dedication and loyalty to his trainees quite beyond that of his colleagues. He was a man whose influence in British surgery was considerable. In 1988 he retired from St Mary's. He continued to write and carried out consultative work for the Ministry of Defence. He moved to Aberdeenshire in Scotland, in the hope of enjoying an outdoor life, but his later years were marred by illness. He died on 28 June 2011 aged 85. He was survived by his wife, Jean, a former nurse, a son (Nigel) and a daughter (Iona), eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. A son (Raymond) predeceased him.