Born on 18 August 1902, the son of F M H Eckhoff, a Norwegian architect, he was educated in South Africa at Durban High School, Natal University and the University of Cape Town, and at Guy's Hospital, where he arrived in 1920 with a senior science scholarship. At Guy's he qualified with the Conjoint Diploma at the age of 21 and held surgical house appointments there and at the West London Hospital. He passed the FRCS in 1925, but had to wait two years till he was 25 before he could be formally admitted to the Fellowship. While working as surgical registrar he sat and passed the London MB BS in 1927, obtaining honours in surgery, and became MS in 1928. Eckhoff held the post of senior demonstrator of anatomy at Guy's Medical School from 1930 to 1933, and in 1933 he was appointed an assistant surgeon to Guy's Hospital. He was surgeon to St John's Hospital, Lewisham, from 1930 to 1946, and consultant surgeon to the London County Council from 1930 to 1944. By the outbreak of the second world war Eckhoff had established himself not only as a general surgeon, but also as a plastic surgeon of considerable skill, and held the posts of surgeon to the Cottage Hospital, East Grinstead from 1941 to 1946 and plastic surgeon to the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, the chief centre of plastic surgery, from 1940 to 1958. In 1947 he was honorary visiting surgeon to the John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. He was the first to hold the post of plastic surgeon to Guy's Hospital. He retired in the summer of 1967. He was active in professional societies, and held office as President of the Medical Society of London and the Chelsea Clinical Society. Eckhoff was an outstanding teacher and took great interest in student activities, especially in sport. He became President of the London University Golf Society, donating a cup to encourage competition, and President of the United Hospitals Rifle Club, and was Treasurer of the Clubs' Union, until his last year on the Staff of Guy's Hospital, when he was invited to be Honorary President. He married Audrey Allison in 1931, who survived him with a son and daughter. He died from coronary thrombosis at the age of 67 on 6 November 1969.