Born in London on 29 December 1910, he was educated at the Chelsea Polytechnic and University College. He was awarded the junior and senior medals in anatomy and the silver medal in embryology and histology. At University College Hospital medical school he won the Fellowes silver medal in 1934 and the F T Roberts prize in 1935. In the same year he qualified MRCS, LRCP and in 1936 he graduated MB, BS. He took the Fellowship in 1939 and the MRCOG in 1942, and was elected to the Fellowship of the RCOG in 1953. At University College Hospital he served as house physician to Sir John McNee and house surgeon to Julian Taylor before becoming first assistant of the obstetric unit. During the war he served as a surgical and gynaecological specialist in the RAF, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader. On demobilisation he was appointed chief assistant to the department of obstetrics at St Thomas's Hospital and was elected to the staffs of the Hospital for Women, Soho Square and Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford. He was a consultant gynaecologist to the Ministry of Pensions, and examined for the Conjoint Board, the University of London, the Central Midwives Board, and the General Nursing Council. Barns built up a successful consulting practice, and in addition undertook research. As Lund fellow of the Diabetic Association he explored the problem of diabetes in pregnancy, carrying out animal experiments and clinical investigations. He was interested in sterility, and was director of the Fertility Clinic at Soho Square. For many years he was troubled with spondylolisthesis, with characteristic common sense and ingenuity he devised means of doing abdominal surgery in a sitting position to relieve the strain on his back. He also put this handicap to good purpose as an adviser to the Rover Motor Co on seating design. Barns practised at 31 Weymouth Street, W1. He died suddenly on 21 January 1959 aged 48, survived by his wife and their son. Publications: Ovarian carcinoma, with P B Schofield. *Obstetrics and Gynecology* (New York), 1954, 4, 82-86. Comfortable abdominal operating. *Med Illus* 1955, 9, 387-390. Modem views on pregnancy complicated by diabetes mellitus. *Med Press* 1957, 237, 37-40. Prediabetic pregnancy, with M E Morgans. *J Obstet Gynaec Brit Emp* 1948, 55, 449-454. Round ligament sling operation for stress incontinence. *J Obstet Gynaec Brit Emp* 1950, 57, 404-407.