Fowler, Benjamin – Grantham surgeon saved French soldiers

Benjamin Fowler (1917-1982)

BENJAMIN John Fowler was consultant surgeon at Grantham Hospital from 1962 until his retirement 20 years later.

He was born and brought up in Peterborough and a student at Guy’s Medical School, London and in 1941 obtained his MB and BS qualifications.

He saw wartime service with the Army in the Middle East where he was awarded the Chevalier Legion d’Honeur for rescuing a detachment of French soldiers who had strayed into a minefield.

He later performed an appendix operation on board a troopship during a gale in the Bay of Biscay.

After the war, he became surgical registrar at Guy’s Hospital, then senior registrar at first Sheffield then Derby and Leicester before coming to Grantham as consultant general surgeon.

He died only two months into his retirement, leaving his widow Shirley.