Born on 4 April 1891 at Singleton, New South Wales the son of Arthur S. Buchanan of Eastwood NSW, he was educated at Sydney High School and University, qualifying just before war broke out in 1914. He served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps throughout the war, at first on active service with the 3rd and 4th Field Ambulances in Gallipoli, Egypt and France, then as Colonel in command of No 2 Australian Army Hospital at Southall in England, and finally as Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services; he was mentioned twice in despatches. He took the Edinburgh Fellowship in 1919 and the English Fellowship in 1920, and was later elected to the Australasian Fellowship. He joined the staff of Sydney Hospital after the war, was promoted to assistant surgeon in 1921, surgeon in 1934, and was ultimately consultant surgeon there and at the Hornsby Hospital; his consulting rooms were at 193 Macquarie Street, Sydney. Buchanan retained his rank in the RAAMC Reserve and was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration; before the outbreak of the second world war he published in 1938 a useful book on *Air-raid precautions*. He was also an active member of the St John Ambulance Association and was created a Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1963. He was a foundation member of the New South Wales Golf Club, an active golfer for many years, and a keen tennis player in younger days. His favourite recreations were fishing, and camping in the Blue Mountains. He married in 1921 Evelyn, daughter of Dr R J B Yule, and they had one son; after her death he married secondly, in 1940, Maisie daughter of G V Bowman, who survived him with their son and two daughters and the son of his first marriage. He died on 1 May 1972 aged eighty-one. Publications: *Air-raid Precautions*. Sydney 1938. Rescue breathing for the partially drowned. *Med J Aust* 1960, 1, 405.