William Melville Capper was born on 25 January 1908 at Newport, Monmouthshire, and went to Canford School where he did well in classics. He came to St Bartholomew's Hospital for his medical course, where he also distinguished himself as a formidable rugby forward. He qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1932, and became house surgeon to Sir Girling Ball. He passed the FRCS in 1936, and then decided to specialize in obstetrics and gynaecology, obtained the MRCOG in 1938 and in 1939 was appointed consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. In the second world war he joined the RAMC and was in command of the surgical division of a general hospital in North Africa and Italy with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. After demobilization he made a remarkable change in his career, abandoning obstetrics for general surgery. He served first as a surgical registrar, but in 1946 was appointed consultant surgeon to the Bristol Royal Hospital, and made significant contributions to gastroenterology. He also served as surgeon to Southmead Hospital. He was an excellent teacher, and with Harold Rodgers published a text-book of surgery. He served for some years as Clinical Dean of the Bristol Medical School. As a leader in his chosen specialty he was made president of the Society of Gastroenterology in 1965, and in 1969 was President of the Section of Surgery of the Royal Society of Medicine. Bill Capper, as he was known to his many friends, will long be remembered as a Christian whose religion inspired his whole life. He was Chairman and President of the Christian Medical Fellowship, and was a popular preacher at the Alma Road Chapel in Bristol. But the outstanding feature was the generous and loving manner in which he helped all, and especially the younger people, who appealed to him for advice and assistance. He had a wonderful home life with his wife May and their two sons and daughter, who survived him when he died suddenly, though after prolonged illness, in the Bristol Royal Hospital on 10 December 1971, aged 63.