Colonel John James McIntosh Shaw (1885 – 10 September 1940) was a Scottish 20th-century military surgeon who served in both World Wars, and pioneered plastic surgery in the 1920s.

Early life and education

Shaw was born in

Port Glasgow Port Glasgow (, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recent census in 2011 s ...

in 1885 the son of Isabella McIntosh (1844–1937) and her husband, John Shaw (1838–1896), a consulting engineer. His family moved to 6 Jessfield Terrace in

Newhaven, Edinburgh Newhaven is a district in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, which lies between Leith and Granton, Edinburgh, Granton and is about north of the city centre of Edinburgh, just north of the Victoria Park, Edinburgh, Victoria Park district. ...

when he was young. He was educated at

George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eighteenth ...

. In 1902 he entered the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

studying for general degree, graduating with an MA in 1906. He then continued at the University, studying medicine, graduating with a

MB ChB A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1909. After practical experience he gained his doctorate ( MD) in 1913.

Career

In the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served as a Major in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

attached to the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. He won the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

with star and was twice

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

. After the war (and as a consequence of his experience) he began to specialise in plastic surgery, initially focussing on war-wounded. He was also one of the several to practice x-ray therapy on malignant diseases. He also lectured in Clinical Surgery at the University of Edinburgh. In 1926 he was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

. In 1931 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were James Lorrain Smith, Sir David Wilkie,

George Barger George Barger Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE FCS LLD (4 April 1878 – 5 January 1939) was a British chemist. Life He was born to an English mother, Eleanor Higginbotham, and Gerrit Barger, a Dutch engineer i ...

and

Francis Gibson Baily Francis Gibson Baily FRSE (1868–1945) was a British electrical engineer remembered for his research into electromagnetism. He was one of the first to suggest the use of water power to produce electricity and as such was the forefather of hydro ...

. In the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he was Consultant Surgeon in the Field to the British Army for the Middle East. He died of acute

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

on 10 September 1940. He is buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery – grave P253.

Family

He was married to Mina Draper Shaw (b.1899). They lived in

Barnton, Edinburgh Barnton () is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the north-west of the city, between Cramond and Corstorphine Hill and west of Davidsons Mains. Part of the area was traditionally known as "Cramond Muir" in reference to Cramond to the north. ...

. They had eight children.

Publications

*''Note on Two Gunshot Wounds'' (1918) *''War Injuries to Face and Jaw''Glasgow Medical Journal vol 135

References

1885 births 1940 deaths People from Port Glasgow Military personnel from Inverclyde People educated at George Watson's College Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish military medical officers British plastic surgeons Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Medical Corps officers Scottish surgeons 20th-century surgeons British Army personnel killed in World War II Deaths from dysentery Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh {{UK-med-bio-stub