Robert Strang, the fifth son of James, an Essex farmer, and Margaret (Steven) Strang, was born on 30 September 1901 in Hornchurch, Essex. Educated at Palmer's School, Grays, Whitgift School, Croydon, and the University of Edinburgh he held post qualification posts in Edinburgh, Oxford and Leicester before going to New Zealand as resident surgical officer at Dunedin Hospital to work under Sir Gordon Bell. Serving in the second world war 1942-1946, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, he used his experiences when he wrote his ChM thesis entitled *Abdominal surgery at a field surgical unit*. After the war he became surgeon to the High Wycombe and District Hospital Groups. In 1933 he married Dorothy Camm, who predeceased him. They had one son and two daughters (one of whom entered medicine). His interests outside surgery included cricket, rugby and golf. He died in Amersham on 15 March 1976.