Born in New Zealand in 1889, son of William Still Littlejohn, he was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne. His father become its headmaster in 1904 and was regarded as one of the great educationalists of his time. Proceeding to Ormond College, University of Melbourne after obtaining in 1906 a University Exhibition in mathematics, mechanics and science, he took his BA in 1909 and was awarded a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, tenable at New College. While at Oxford he obtained a first in anthropology and rowed for two years in the University Boat Race. In 1912 he rowed at Henley for Leander, who came second to Sydney Rowing Club in the Grand Challenge Cup, but later in the season the same crew reversed their defeat in the Olympic Games at Stockholm. For his clinical studies he went to St Bartholomew's Hospital, qualifying in 1914. On the outbreak of war he joined the RAMC and was severely wounded in 1914, but later in the war was awarded the Military Cross and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. In 1919 he returned to Melbourne and settled in practice in the then new suburb of Ivanhoe, also working in the Royal Melbourne Hospital first as a clinical assistant 1920-23, then as surgeon to out-patients 1924-31, and finally as orthopaedic surgeon 1931-48. During the years 1920-25 he was a surgeon at the Children's Hospital and chairman of the committee of the new orthopaedic branch on Port Phillip Bay. In 1932 he founded the first large modern orthopaedic clinic in Victoria. His interest in rowing he maintained by coaching Scotch College and Melbourne University. 1939 found him in the Australian AMC, and as officer commanding the surgical division of the 4th Australian General Hospital he was present during the siege of Tobruk and devised the Tobruk plaster to facilitate sea transportation of fracture cases to Alexandria. Later he became consulting surgeon to the SW Pacific command. He retired in 1948 and was made consulting orthopaedic surgeon to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, his country house being at Red Hill near Flinders and his town house at Storrington Place, Toorak. A member of the Australian Cricket Board and Victoria Cricket Association he was also a keen tennis and golf player. His only son Ross, MC, was captured and shot after a paratroop attack on the Brenner Pass. He died on 4 August 1960 in Melbourne survived by his wife, his brother Euan Littlejohn MD, and three sisters, one being Jean Littlejohn FRACS.