Colin Frederic Chapple was born and educated in Adelaide, South Australia, qualifying in 1936 and after a year in junior appointments came to England to study surgery. Within two years he had passed the FRCS Edinburgh and during the war years spent a short time with the Emergency Medical Service before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps and serving in West Africa. After demobilisation he was surgical registrar at the Central Middlesex Hospital and later senior orthopaedic registrar in the same hospital. He passed the FRCS in 1951 and went to Mansfield General Hospital, initially as senior hospital medical officer and later as consultant orthopaedic surgeon. He was also consultant to Berry Hill Hall Miners' Rehabilitation Centre. Apart from professional work he was an accomplished sportsman, playing golf, tennis and cricket. He retired in 1977 and died on 15 October 1989 aged 77. He is survived by his wife, Polly and two daughters.