'Tony' Buckle was born in Yorkshire and educated at Holgates Grammar School, York. In 1944 he enlisted in the RAF but the war ended before he completed his training as a pilot. He was released and began his medical career at Guy's Hospital, graduating in 1950. He received the Golding Prize Medal and the prize for obstetrics. His early appointments included senior obstetric and gynaecological registrar, King's College Hospital, obstetric registrar Charing Cross Hospital and RMO at Queen Charlotte's Hospital. He obtained the diploma of the RCOG in 1952, the membership in 1954 and was elected a Fellow in 1967. He became FRCS in 1958 and examiner for the Conjoint Board. He was appointed consultant to Lewisham and St John's Hospital in 1963 where he remained until progressive illness caused his premature retirement in 1981. He continued to teach until only a few days before his death. Buckle's contributions to obstetrics and gynaecology were extensive and valuable. He was involved in early work on chemotherapy for pelvic cancer and in promotion of the laparoscope as a diagnostic tool and in the newly developing signs of foetal monitoring. He was deeply interested in family planning and set up abortion clinics which were a model of their kind. He was a dedicated teacher with the necessary sense of humour but he did not suffer fools gladly, a fact not always appreciated by his peers. He died suddenly on 2 June 1982 leaving his wife Ebba and a son and daughter.