Michael Alms obituary

My uncle, Michael Alms, who has died aged 99, was an orthopaedic surgeon born in Japan who spent his childhood and youth in Britain. Told his racial background precluded him from becoming a consultant in the UK, he went to live in Canada. There he invented a device called the Alms retractor, for use in hand surgery.

At his birth in Kyoto, he was named Tadashi Kubo. His mother, Naka Kubo (known as Kimi), was from a samurai family; his father, George Alms, was a captain and translations officer for the British Army engineering battalion stationed in the city. The marriage was felt by Kimi’s family to bring shame and disgrace, and they rejected the young couple. George returned to Britain, but Kimi remained to care for her dying mother, and Tadashi went to live with Kimi’s aunt and uncle. Their daughter, Masu, six years older than Tadashi, became Tadashi’s playmate. When Kimi and Tadashi left Japan in 1924 to join George in Britain, the family tried to erase all memory of them.

Arriving in Taunton to join George, Tadashi became Michael Alms. He was told little about his family history – his mother never wanted to talk about it. A sister and brother were born. Michael was educated at Bembridge school on the Isle of Wight. He studied medicine at Bristol University, graduating with its gold medal in 1945. In 1946 he married Beryl Norris (known as Goo), a nurse.

He trained in general surgery (specialising in orthopaedics) at the United Bristol hospitals and, after further orthopaedics training at Liverpool University, and obtaining his MCh Orth in 1955, he became a senior registrar in orthopaedic surgery at the United Bristol hospitals. Despite his ample qualifications, he was told that because of his racial origins, he would never be appointed as a consultant surgeon.

As a result, Michael, Goo and their four children emigrated to Canada in 1960. He worked as an orthopaedic surgeon at University hospital and St Paul’s hospital, Saskatoon. Later, he went into private practice. To aid with surgery of the hand, Michael invented an adjustable and self-retaining surgical retractor, designed to hold back the skin and soft tissues to maintain a clear surgical field. It is still widely used and is known as the Alms retractor.

After Kimi’s death in 1990, Michael managed to trace some of his family in Japan from an old photograph. Seventy years after leaving Japan, he returned to meet the daughters of his cousin Masu. They had been told that her friend, a little boy called Tadashi, had disappeared and no one would tell her where he went. He introduced himself to them with the words, in Japanese, “I am Tadashi Kubo”. He remained in touch with them, visited Japan several times, and created links between the Japanese and British sides of the family.

After finishing his private practice, he volunteered for Care International, first in the Dominican Republic, and later in Peru, before retiring properly in 2000 and settling in Vancouver.

Michael was a keen sailor, golfer, photographer and potter. He was a founding member of the Saskatoon sailing club and sailing school and a member of West Point golf club in Vancouver.

Goo died in 2000. Michael is survived by their children, Harriet, Richard and Georgie, and by five grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Another daughter, Charlotte, died in 2004.