1921–2018

Johnny died on 23 January 2018 aged 96 years. He was born in Leeds in 1921. At 14 he was apprenticed as a dental mechanic (technician). During this time he cycled from Leeds to Bradford to attend night school in order to gain further qualifications. At 19 he was called up into the RAF. Because of his qualifications in physics he was sent to work under the direction of Robert Watson-Watt, pioneer of radar. He was a junior assistant to M. G. Scroggie and worked on the network of radio masts around the south and east coasts of Britain. He was trained in servicing the new mobile radar units, armoured vans engaged in advanced direction finding. After D-Day his unit followed the front line, sometimes into enemy territory to guide the bombers onto their targets. He had to identify and change the radio valves when they blew. He was invited into the Buchenwald concentration camp by the US troops who liberated it as a witness to the atrocities.

After the war he applied to Leeds Dental School to do the LDSRCS course as this was more widely recognised than the BDS at the time. After working in general dental practice he commenced training in dental surgery (later oral surgery and then oral and maxillofacial surgery). He did a number of oral surgery jobs most notably with Alan Moule in Manchester. He subsequently obtained the FDSRCS (Eng) qualification. In 1960 he was appointed a Senior Hospital Dental Officer in Preston under Eric Cooper, who had been the dentist in Colditz. He was subsequently promoted to consultant a few years later. This enabled the splitting of the very large patch, with Eric Cooper covering Lancaster, Kendal and Barrow, leaving Johnny to cover Preston, Chorley and Blackpool.

He was very innovative in his work, when the discipline of oral and maxillofacial surgery was just starting in the early days of the NHS. He pioneered orthognathic surgery with his orthodontic colleague Donald Timms. In particular, he developed a technique for surgically-assisted rapid maxillary expansion. He was also the first postgraduate dental tutor out in the region arranging Section 63 courses for general dental practitioners. He was always very helpful and supportive to his colleagues. He retired in 1984. Among other things he was a keen and intrepid sailor and talented artist. He was married to his theatre sister, Audrey, who predeceased him.