Alexander Galbraith Cross was born in London on 29 March 1908, the son of Walter Galbraith, a bank manager, and his wife Mary Stewart, née McKeich, a farmer's daughter. He was educated at King's College School, Caius College Cambridge, and St Mary's Hospital, where he was a University Scholar and won the Cheadle Gold Medal and the Broadbent Prize. He qualified MB BCh and MRCS LRCP in 1933 and went on to hold house physician and house surgeon posts at St Mary's and Moorfields, obtaining his FRCS in 1936. In 1937 he played fly half for St Mary's in their cup winning side. He served in the RAF Voluntary Reserve from 1941 to 1946 as a wing commander, and was adviser in ophthalmology to the South East Asia Air Forces, based in Burma. After the war he became consultant ophthalmic surgeon to St Mary's and Moorfields (and many other hospitals), served as dean of the Medical School at St Mary's from 1951 to 1960, and in 1967 became dean of the Institute of Ophthalmology. He served as a co-opted member (ophthalmology) on the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons between 1962 and 1967. Other responsibilities included the Presidency of the Faculty of Ophthalmologists from 1968 to 1971, Chairmanship of the Ophthalmic Group Committee from 1963 to 1971 and civilian consultant in ophthalmology to the Royal Navy in 1946. He was also ophthalmic surgeon to St Dunstan's and the Royal National Institute for the Blind. In 1939 he married Eileen, the niece of the then professor of surgery at St Mary's, C A Pannett. He enjoyed sports (rugby and later tennis, golf and squash) gardening and, an unsuspected accomplishment, tapestry. He died on 4 February 1996, survived by his wife, daughter Diana, a physiotherapist, and two grandchildren, Alison and John.