Niblock was born on 12 September 1907 at Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth, the son of Lt Col William James Niblock, IMS, sometime Professor of Surgery at Madras Medical College. He came of a distinguished family of medical men, whose names appear in the family tree for 200 years: among them were Sir Edward Johnson, MD, assistant surgeon 28 Foot, who fought at Corunna and was awarded the Peninsular Medal, Maj Gen Robert Lyons (1859-1947), Director-General, IMS, and Maj Gen John Smith IMS (1865-1928). Niblock was educated at Eastbourne College, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and King's College Hospital Medical School, where he was influenced by and worked with Sir Cecil Wakeley and Sir Victor Negus. Following his father's footsteps - and the family tradition - he joined the Indian Medical Service after graduation and was twice mentioned in despatches during the second world war. After returning from the IMS he practised as an oto-rhino-laryngological surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and at the Royal Buckinghamshire and St John's Group Hospitals, Aylesbury. In April 1936 he married Monica Hulbert Austin MRCS LRCP. He died on 18 November 1996, survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter, none of whom entered medicine.