Robert Joseph Willan (10 January 1878 - 12 January 1955) was a British surgeon and academic.

Early life

Robert Joseph Willan was born on 10 January 1878, the second son of John Willan JP of Durham, and was educated there at

Durham School Durham School is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding and day school in the English Public school (UK), public school tradition located in Durham, England, Durham, North East England. Since 2021 it has been part of th ...

followed by

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

where he qualified as a doctor in 1906. He was born into a family of farmers in

Shincliffe Shincliffe is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. The parish population (according to the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census) was 1,796. It is situated just over to the south-east of Durham, England, Durham city centre, on ...

, on the south-east edge of Durham.

Career

In the First World War he served as Staff Surgeon, and was awarded the MVO in 1915. Willan retired from the RNVR in 1933 with the rank of Surgeon-Captain, and King's Honorary Surgeon. In 1935, he succeeded Professor Grey Turner as chair of surgery at

Royal Victoria Infirmary The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is a 673-bed tertiary referral hospital and research centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with strong links to Newcastle University. The hospital is part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation T ...

in Newcastle upon Tyne, and remained in post until his retirement in 1942. In the Second World War, he was re-employed as Surgeon-Captain RNVR and rose to Surgeon Rear-Admiral, Royal Navy.

Personal life

In 1910, he married Dorothy Eleanor Shawyer (died 8 September 1949), and they had a son (died age 20) and two daughters. Willan died on 12 January 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willan, Robert Joseph 1878 births 1955 deaths British surgeons Alumni of Durham University College of Medicine Academics of Durham University Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England Members of the Royal Victorian Order People educated at Durham School Military personnel from Durham, England People from Durham, England Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Navy Medical Service officers Royal Navy admirals of World War II