William Hamer, son of William, a chartered accountant, and his wife, Alice Marjorie, née Evans, was born in London on 22 July 1919. From Boston Grammar School and Oakham School, Rutland, he went to St Mary's Hospital, London. He held house appointments at the Postgraduate Medical School and was influenced by Professor Grey Turner, Mr Richard Franklin, Mr Alan Small and Mr Peter Martin. During the war he held the rank of squadron leader in the RAFVR. He was an accomplished general surgeon, with a special interest in urology, being a keen member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons. He did much to develop the surgical services in South East Essex, with the building of Basildon and Orsett Hospitals and the Brentwood Nuffield Nursing Home. He also forged links with the London teaching hospitals. At Oakham he developed a lifelong love of rugby football, and he starred in St Mary's formidable wartime team. In 1943 he married Mavis Robinson SRN, whose premature death soon after his retirement devastated him. He died of a bladder tumour on 15 July 1993, survived by his three married daughters.