JOHN Glozier, who worked in Oxford University’s Department of Human Anatomy workshop for 40 years, has died aged 90.

Born in 1918 in Wembley, he was christened Sydney Francis Glozier, but was always known as John.

He grew up in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, and was an apprentice cabinet maker at Tudor Furnishings, making reproduction furniture from when he left school at 14 until he joined the Navy, aged 21 in 1939.

He served on HMS Ambitious and the aircraft carrier HMS Argus, which was wrongly reported sunk three times.

During his time in the Navy he was an Able Seaman, Shipwright and lastly Petty Officer.

He served in the Atlantic, Malta and Russian convoys, for which he ecently received a Russian Star medal.

Towards the end of the war, Mr Glozier was posted to HMS Oxford, which he thought was a ship, but turned out to be the Department of Human Anatomy, which at that time was known as HMS DHA.

He worked on seat positions of guns, for use on ships in the Arctic, using foot controls.

He worked there, first as a junior technician and then becoming chief technician, for 40 years.

During this time, Mr Glozier worked under Prof LeGros Clarke, replicating the “Piltdown” skull, and thus proving it to be a fake.

Mr Glozier also designed and built a microtome for cutting sections fine enough for use under an electron microscope, and this went on show in the History of Science Museum in Broad Street.

In 1985, he received a Master of Arts Honorary Degree, at the Sheldonian Theatre, for 40 years service. He worked for more than 30 years as a university policeman, and was Bedel of Arts, Medicine, Law and Divinity.

He also led many Encaenia processions to the Sheldonian Theatre, meeting many famous people who received their degrees in Oxford, including Bill Clinton, Charlie Chaplin and Nelson Mandela. He appeared in Inspector Morse and the film Shadowlands, as a Bedel.

Mr Glozier was a Freemason for many years and was once Worshipful Master of his Lodge.

For a time he owned a grocery shop at Belsyre Court, Woodstock Road.

He was married to Lily for 67 years and leaves three daughters, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

After Mr Glozier retired from the workshop, he worked part-time at the History of Science Museum.

He also invigilated at the Exam School and during his time at the DHA, was President of the Mansfield Road Club.