John Edward Buck was born in Hove, the son of a general surgeon. His father retired after the end of the first world war and emigrated to Vancouver Island. John enjoyed the outdoor life there until his family returned to England in 1932. He went to school at Lancing and then on to Edinburgh to study medicine. He qualified in 1938 and, after house jobs, joined the army in 1940. He had an eventful war. He went out to India and became the medical officer to the 151 (British) Parachute Battalion. Later, his battalion saw service in the Middle East and took part in the capture of Taranto. They then returned to England and, as part of the 1st Airborne Division, landed at Arnhem, where they were involved in fierce combat. John stayed behind with some wounded and was captured, spending nine months in captivity until the end of the war.
After demobilisation, he occupied several senior resident posts in Brighton and as a registrar in London. He obtained the FRCS from England and Edinburgh and was then appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Woolwich and Greenwich, where he acted as a civilian consultant to the military hospitals. He was a skilful operator and is perhaps best remembered for his innovative management of spondylolysis, repairing the defect by introduction of a bone graft and stabilisation with a screw passed across the defect from the lamina into the rest of the pedicle. This has proved to be still a successful procedure and was one of the earliest examples of the use of internal fixation in the spine.
Throughout his time at Greenwich he was a pillar of the orthopaedic departments and gave outstanding service. He retained the love of the outdoors enjoyed in his childhood and was a keen sailor, skier, and parachutist until late in his life. He had a great interest in sport and was medical adviser to Charlton Athletic Football Club.
He is remembered with warmth and affection by all who were associated with him. He leaves a wife, Dorothy, who was formerly a day ward sister at Greenwich District Hospital.