Richard Hood Metcalfe was born at York on 16 September 1899, his father and mother both being doctors. He first went to school at St Olave's and later to St Peter's School, York, and in 1918 passed into Woolwich where he studied for a year, but in 1919 returned to York to complete his preparation for entry to Trinity College Cambridge for preclinical studies. His clinical education was at St Thomas's Hospital where he qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1926, and the same year he graduated with the MB BCh degree of Cambridge University. He held the posts of casualty officer and house surgeon at St Thomas's, and was greatly influenced by Rowley Bristow, which circumstance led to his ultimate choice of orthopaedic surgery as his specialty. Metcalfe later became casualty surgeon to the General Hospital Birmingham, and when the second world war broke out he joined the RAMC, serving part of the time in York and part at Millbank, ultimately being promoted to the rank of Brigadier, as consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the Army. After his army service Metcalfe settled in London and was appointed orthopaedic surgeon to St James's Hospital, Balham, and also consultant orthopaedic surgeon to Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton, and the work for the children there became the most absorbing interest in his life. He was also keenly interested in the Boys' Brigade. He contributed some papers on orthopaedic subjects, and during a long and trying illness after his retirement he was writing a book which included references to his experiences in Russia, but he died on 2 August 1972 before it was completed. His wife and son survived him.