John Hackwood was born in Carlisle on the 28 October 1899, the son of Harold Hackwood, a consulting engineer. His mother, Marguerite, née Fereday, was the daughter of a surveyor. He was educated at the City of London School and St Thomas's Hospital Medical School having been awarded the Musgrove Scholarship in 1918 with a second tenure the following year. He then won the Solly Medal and Prize, the Mead Medal and the Toiler Prize. He qualified MRCS, LRCP in 1921 and became FRCS and FRCS Edinburgh in 1927. He proceeded MD in 1934. He held resident posts at St Thomas's and the West Kent Hospital, Maidstone, and he was later deputy medical superintendent at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford. He became the first surgeon superintendent at the Farnborough Institution, later Farnborough Hospital, Kent, and he forged lasting links with Guy's Hospital during its wartime evacuation to Farnborough. During his training, he worked with Max Page, Alan Todd and Jennings Marshall. He married Miss Timney, SRN, in 1932. They had three sons; the two younger were twins who died in their early 40s. His wife became disabled and he devoted his latter years of failing health to her care. He was fond of gardening, music and stamp collecting. When he died on 18 October 1983 he was survived by his wife "Tim", his son John, a general practitioner, and ten grandchildren, one of whom was a ward sister and another at medical school.