Samuel Norman Lytle was born in Maghera, Co Derry, Northern Ireland, on 30 January 1905. He was educated at the National School, Maghera, Foyle College and Campbell College, Belfast. He graduated MB BCh BAO Queen's University, Belfast, in 1927. Coming to London, Norman Lytle filled the three resident posts almost obligatory for an aspiring consultant surgeon, at St Mark's, St Peter's, and Great Ormond Street. While working in London he became interested in the arts, attending concerts and picture galleries whenever he had the time. Moreover, he formed the habit of early rising in order to read the surgical literature, so that by the time any ordinary man had got up in the morning Norman had already put in two hours of study. He maintained his early-rising habit until the end. A year as RSO at Southampton followed. He was appointed to the honorary staff when he was only 30 and by the time he joined the RAMC as a Major in 1941 he had built up a big practice. War service was spent in Algeria, Greece, Austria and Italy until his promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel as commander of a field surgical unit, attached for a time to the Polish Division. His services to the Poles were recognized by the award of the Polish Gold Cross. On return to civilian life he built up the surgical service at Southampton General Hospital to its present standard, retiring in 1970. He worked immensely hard. He had a high order of clinical acumen and was a most skillful operator. Shortly before retirement he was stricken by an illness he knew would limit his life, but he accepted the inevitable and carried on working. On retirement he went to sea as a ship's doctor until further illness brought him home and he continued to work as a locum until a few weeks before his death. Even after he had to stop work it was still a pleasure to visit him because of his outward good cheer and interest. He married Kathleen Margaret Laughlin in 1938 and had one son. He died on 1 October 1974, aged 69 years.