Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel | I. A. 18. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 47A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Alexander James Macintosh Shaw was born in Tokyo, Japan to Archdeacon Alexander Croft Shaw and Mary Ann Cattell. His father was born in Toronto and was descended from a noted Scottish Military Family and became an important Missionary serving mainly in Japan and China (see link below). He served with Lord Strathcona's Horse in South Africa.Education & Career :
Alexander James Mackintosh Shaw graduated from Oxford University, and married Eve Grace Woodroffe.
Alexander J.M. Shaw's occupation in 1900 was as a Surveyor.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1/King's Own Scottish Borderers |
1st Battalion August 1914 : in Lucknow, India. Returned to England on 28 December 1914 and attached to 87th Brigade, 29th Division. Moved to Rugby. Sailed from Avonmouth on 18 March 1915 and landed at Cape Helles on Gallipoli 25 April 1915. 8 January 1916 : evacuated from Gallpoli and moved to Alexandra in Egypt. 18 March 1916 : arrived at Marseilles for service in France. |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
Alexander was subsequently killed in action during the Battle of the Somme near Beaumont-Hamel, France on 9th July 1916.
His name is commemorated on the memorial to allied soldiers of the First World War at the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. He was at that time serving in the British Army as a Captain in the 1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Coronation No. 2931 E.C. | North China |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
- | - | - |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley