Nicholas Ernest James was born on 20 August 1912 in Adelaide, South Australia, the son of the Congregational Minister. The family returned to England in 1928 and he completed his schooling at Latymer Upper School and then went to the London Hospital where he graduated with honours in medicine in 1937, and took the Conjoint Diploma the same year. At the outbreak of the second world war he joined the Emergency Medical Service, and worked at Haymeads Hospital, Bishop's Stortford, where he met his wife who was a sister at the hospital. In 1942 they went out to the London Missionary Society's Hospital at Neyyoor, South Travancore, India, where he worked for four years with Dr T H Somervell. In 1946 his father died and he returned to England, and took the Fellowship in 1947. He then specialized in orthopaedics, first in the orthopaedic unit at the London Hospital, in 1951 as senior registrar at Harlow Wood Orthopaedic Hospital, near Mansfield, and in 1955 he was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Grimsby and Scunthorpe and held that post till the time of his death. Although he had few outside interests he was keen on painting and was an enthusiastic Freemason. He died at his home on 15 July 1966.when only 53 years of age, and was survived by his wife who was then President of the Grimsby Division of the British Red Cross Society.