Born at Boston, Lincolnshire on 15 April 1881, the fourth son and seventh (youngest) child of James Buck junior, corn merchant, and his wife, *née* Ridlington. He was educated at Sheffield Grammar School and at the Royal Infirmary, Manchester, where he was house surgeon, surgical registrar, and resident surgical officer. He practised in partnership with his brother, Dr Walter Buck, at Didsbury, Manchester, died there on 10 June 1938, and was buried at St James, Birch-in-Rusholme, Manchester. He was survived by his wife, Dora Muriel Tarrant, whom he married on 20 January 1914, but there were no children.