Charles John Gordon was born on 24 June 1910, in Angmering, Sussex. He came of a long line of clerical forbears, several of whom were bishops in Lincoln. His father was the Reverend George Gordon, who was Vicar of Angmering. His mother, Eileen Hutton, came of an army family. He was the only son and was educated at Tonbridge School. He decided early in life to do medicine and spent one year in Edinburgh before beginning his clinical studies at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he became runner-up for the Brackenbury Prize. After qualifying he spent two years doing locum work in general practice and then went to Ipswich as house surgeon at the Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital, eventually becoming resident surgical officer. He joined the RAMC in 1942 and on D-day went to France with the 37th Field Surgical Unit. After this he saw service in Burma and was in the relief of Singapore, following this by service in Java where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel DDMS. After being demobilised he joined the staff of Croydon General Hospital in 1946 as RSO. This was made a new appointment and as such he did much to reorganise the resident staff of the hospital at a difficult period. He remained in this position until 1955 when he was appointed consultant surgeon to Croydon General Hospital and the Purley and District Hospital. Whilst at Ipswich he learned much surgery from R Charles and at Croydon he was greatly influenced by working with E T C Milligan. He always maintained a great interest in urology and rectal surgery, although his appointment as general surgeon entailed a vast diversification of work. He was an active member of the Croydon Division of the British Medical Association and also of the Croydon Medical Society. He was a keen gardener and had a vast knowledge of philately. He married Miss Joan Holland in 1935 and is survived by her and a son and two daughters, none of whom adopted medicine. He died suddenly on 29 May 1971, from coronary thrombosis and at the time of his death was senior surgeon at Croydon General Hospital.