Born in 1886 at Norwich, Ontario, the son of John and Harriet Gillam. He was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Woodstock, Ontario and the University of Toronto, entering as an arts student but transferring after a year to the school of medicine. After qualifying in 1910 he was in general practice at Parkdale, Toronto, till he joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps on the outbreak of war in 1914. He served as a lieutenant at No 3 Stationary Hospital, then overseas as a captain at Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign and afterwards at Doullens in France, where he was mentioned in despatches and promoted major. From 1919 he worked in London at postgraduate courses, and took the Fellowship in 1923 though not previously a Member of the College. He then returned to Toronto, set up as a surgical consultant and was appointed to the staff of Toronto Western Hospital, of whose Clinical Society he later became president. He was also senior surgeon to the Toronto Hospital for Incurables, and for a time lecturer in anatomy and surgery at the University. He was an active Fellow of the Toronto Academy of Medicine, serving on its committees of ethics and of publications, and was elected to its Council in 1941. While in England Gillam married Margaret Baird, who survived him. He died in Toronto Western Hospital on 20 December 1941 aged 55. Though quiet and reticent he was a warm-hearted man of absolute honesty and loyalty.