Samuel Marshall Thompson was born in Leeds in 1909, the son of Walter Thompson FRCS (1886-1924), see *Lives of the Fellows*, vol.2, p.409, consultant surgeon to Leeds General Infirmary. His mother was one of the early graduates from the London School of Medicine for Women. He was educated at Uppingham School before entering Caius College, Cambridge, for pre-clinical studies. During his time at Cambridge he was a member of the newly formed University Air Squadron and took a particular interest in flying gliders. He was the first to fly a primitive glider off Sutton Bank in Yorkshire and shortly before his death returned there for a special flight arranged in his honour. After leaving Cambridge he went to Leeds for his clinical studies, qualifying in 1934. He did early house appointments at Leeds and Mansfield and passed the FRCS two years after qualifying. He worked in the orthopaedic department of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital at Oswestry and was surgical registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. At the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a surgical specialist with the rank of Major. He served in India for three years. On demobilisation he was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon to Grimsby Hospital and to Louth and District Hospital. He played an important role in establishing a fracture and orthopaedic service in North Lincolnshire, retiring in 1974. He died on 20 April 1989 and is survived by his wife Biddy and his step family.