Ivor Alwyne Sewell studied medicine at King's College Hospital, qualifying MB BS in 1955. A lecturer in surgery at Westminster Hospital Medical School at the start of his career, he then became senior registrar in surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was awarded a PhD for research into the microcirculation in 1962. Later he developed interests in urology and vascular surgery and was appointed consultant surgeon at Tameside General Hospital, Ashton-under-Lyne, in 1971. He had a life long interest in the Forces. He attended Sandhurst and was a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards. He was surgeon major to the 52nd Lowland Volunteers until 1971. When he retired from the Territorial Army he was lieutenant general at 207 Manchester General Hospital and he continued to lecture at the combined services' training courses. As a founder member of the Military Surgical Society he designed a badge which would meet all the requirements of the College of Arms. He also helped develop ideas for the radical change in the structure of hospitals for the British Army of the Rhine and was subsequently awarded the Territorial Decoration. His many interests included management - he became a member of the British Institute of Management; railway engineering - supporting Dinting Railway Museum; oil painting and technical drawing. He produced many innovative teaching aids with these skills. He died on 30 July 1992 after a second myocardial infarction, survived by his wife, Jean, and two adopted children, Mark and Jackie. His epitaph reads 'Scholar, scientist, soldier, surgeon' - he was all of these.