William Austin Wilson was born at Rothwell, Dumfriesshire, on 7 August 1920, the son of John Wilson, a farmer, and was educated at Oban High School and Stranraer High School before entering the University of Edinburgh. He qualified in 1942 and after house appointments at Bridge of Earn Hospital joined the RNVR from 1943 to 1946 serving in the Mediterranean as Surgeon Lieutenant. After demobilisation he was senior house officer and registrar at Birkenhead and while there passed the FRCS in 1949. He was then appointed surgical tutor and later senior registrar at Liverpool Royal Infirmary under JB Oldham before joining the consultant staff at Warrington General Hospital in 1957. In addition to his professional work he spent much time on committees, serving as Chairman of the Warrington Division of the BMA, the regional staff committee and as a member of the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Services. He retired in 1984 but devoted much time to his rotary club, providing educational material for the Third World as well as working for the Polio Plus campaign. He received an accolade from Rotary International for this work and was given the Paul Harris Fellowship Award in 1989. He married in 1950 Vera Lees Wood, daughter of the Professor of Anatomy at Liverpool University and had one son and two daughters. He died on 20 December 1989 aged 69.