Victor Horsley Hume Riddell was born at 4 Collegiate Terrace, Rotherham, Yorks, on 23 July 1905. His father was FRCS Ed and honorary surgeon to Torbay Hospital. He was educated at Birkdale Preparatory School, Sheffield, Clifton College and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and obtained his blue as a cricket wicket keeper in 1926. He qualified from St George's Hospital in 1930 proceeding to the Final Fellowship three years later. He obtained the MD Cambridge in 1938. He was appointed to the honorary staff of the Royal Waterloo Hospital. In 1939 he was appointed to the staff of St George's as surgeon, an appointment he held until he retired in 1970. He rapidly achieved a reputation as a reliable and dependable surgeon. While, like so many of his generation, he was no narrow specialist he developed a special interest in the surgical treatment of thyroid disease, a field in which he became one of the leading authorities in this country. He also took a special interest in the treatment of cancer of the breast. He was Moynihan Fellow of the Association of Surgeons in 1936 and Hunterian Professor in 1948. His reputation was by no means restricted to his teaching hospital and over the years he developed a close interest in the international field and was recognized particularly in Asia as one of our outstanding surgical ambassadors. In 1957 he was the representative of the College on a surgical mission to the USSR and three years later he was the leader of the British Council surgical mission to the Near East, Cyprus, Jordan, Iraq and Iran. He paid two further visits to Asia - as James IV Association of Surgeons' Visitor to India in 1963 and as guest surgeon to New Delhi and Bangkok in 1970. British surgery could have had no better ambassador with his breadth of surgical vision, his gift for getting on with people. He was also an active member of the International Society of Surgery, of which he was treasurer from 1950 to 1960. At home his reputation and popularity were exemplified by the many invitations to act as an examiner in surgery to the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London. He was also surgical adviser to the Civil Aviation Department (Medical Branch) of the Department of Trade and Industry. His courtesy and personal concern for his patients endeared him to them and his charm and gentle humour attracted many friends. He never lost his interest in cricket and for many years was an active member of the MCC. He died on 9 August 1976, aged 71 years.