William Wylie Rentoul was born on 2 December 1895 at Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland. He was educated at Clonmel Grammar School and Queen's University, Belfast. During the first world war he served in the Army in France and attained the rank of Major, second in command of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry. He graduated in medicine at Queen's University, Belfast. He won triple colours at Queen's in hockey, cricket and tennis and had an Irish cap for hockey. In 1923 he held an appointment as resident surgical officer at Shropshire Orthopaedic Hospital where he was greatly influenced by Sir Robert Jones. In 1929 he went to Cornwall and started, and progressively improved, the orthopaedic service that the county now enjoys. The Rentoul Workshops, based at the City Hospital, Truro, bear his name and pay lasting tribute to the memory of this devoted pioneer. From 1939 to 1946 he was deputy regional consultant in orthopaedics to the Ministry of Health. Rentoul was an Emeritus Fellow of the Orthopaedic Association, and became FRCS in 1971. He was of a quiet and reserved disposition, and because of his experience in war, international athletics, and medical politics was much sought after as a member of many committees and organizations. In 1925 he married Amy Isabella Woods, MA, MSc. They had two sons, one of whom is a general practitioner. He died at Truro on 19 July 1975, aged 79 years.