Born on 3 March 1907 in Dundee, Angus, Walter Campbell was the son of Henry Gordon Campbell LRCP, LRCS, LDS, RCS Ed, the first Professor of Dental Surgery in University College, St Andrews University. His grandfather, Walter Campbell, obtained the LDS England in 1861, the second year of the establishment of that diploma. His great-grandfather, John Anderson, was a naval surgeon, who became physician to the Duke of Hamilton on retirement from the Navy. His mother, Gertrude Ellen Mary, née Griffith, was the daughter of a schoolmaster. His early education was at Dundee High School, from which he proceeded to University College, St Andrews University, Dundee, to study dentistry and medicine. There he won the MacEwan Prize in surgery. After qualification he first worked as house surgeon and house physician in Dundee Royal Infirmary and then as resident surgical officer at Perth Royal Infirmary before moving south to continue his experience at the Middlesex and St Bartholomew's Hospitals, London. Here he took his Primary and Final FRCS. He considered himself to be specially influenced by Professor L Turton Price, Professor J Anderson and Professor Alexander, with whom he had worked in Dundee, and with T RW Armour in Liverpool and Francis Brown. He joined the RNVR before the second world war, and became Principal Medical Officer of the East Scottish Division from 1935 to 1946. He worked as a Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander in HMHS *Oxfordshire*, HMS *Royal Arthur*, and Simonstown RN Hospital, all as a surgical specialist. After the war he returned to Dundee, first as a subchief and then as successor to Mr Robb. In 1952 he transferred his surgical unit to Maryfield Hospital, when that became the second Dundee teaching hospital. He had previously been lecturer in surgery and then senior lecturer in clinical surgery at St Andrews and Dundee Universities. Walter Campbell was by training and inclination a general surgeon, with interests ranging from minor surgery through orthopaedics, treatment of advanced breast cancer with yttrium, surgical support for the new renal unit and the new intensive care unit to geriatric and terminal care. He was also involved with urology, endocrine surgery and leucotomy. His technical skill, unhurried speed and neatness combined with the trust and affection with which he rewarded those who worked hard on his unit earned him the admiration and loyalty of all his staff. His aphorisms and pithy comments were remembered and quoted long after he had forgotten them. His knowledge of surgical physiology was sketchy, but he encouraged his juniors to become proficient in it. His main concern was practical surgery; he had no time for pretentiousness and no interest in committees nor medical politics. In 1969 he retired early to emigrate to Western Australia, where his son was farming, and introduced Lincoln red cattle to that state. He soon returned to general practice surgery, flying doctor work and locums, and was happy at the release from bureaucracy. His interests included shooting and farming. He was a Lloyds' underwriter and former member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. In 1936 he married Nancy Isabelle Rait, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel J W F Rait, MB BS (London), IMS. He had two daughters and a son. His elder daughter is a doctor. He died on 30 March 1981 at Albany, Western Australia.