Eric Riches

Sir Eric William Riches, MC, FRCS (1897 – 1987) was a British surgeon, urologist, and decorated British Army officer. In 1955, he developed a new cystoscope, which was named after him as the Riches Cystoscope, in order to standardise the equipment and its attachments. He gave the Hunterian Oration in 1938 and 1942, and the Bradshaw Lecture in 1962.

Riches was born on 29 July 1897 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England.

Military service

In 1915, having deferred his entry to university, Riches joined the British Army to fight in the First World War. On 4 January 1916, he was commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment as a temporary second lieutenant. He then served with the 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.

In the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor in recognition of his service as "Surgeon and Urologist to Middlesex Hospital", and therefore granted the title sir. On 15 July 1958, he was knighted by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

T./2nd Lt. Eric William Riches, attd. Linc. R.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When in charge of an ammunition dump which was set on fire by an enemy shell, with the aid of a corporal, under heavy shell fire, he rushed at once to put out the fire; rifle grenades were exploding at the time in the dump. By his prompt action in putting out the fire the destruction of the dump and loss of life were averted. He displayed great coolness and courage.

— Military Cross citation in the London Gazette