Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The scarce campaign group of three awarded Surgeon Major G. Shaw, Army Medical Department, who was the only British officer killed in action at Kassassin, 28 August 1882 - when he, ‘for the purpose of rendering assistance to a wounded man, voluntarily exposed himself to a scathing fire from the enemy. He was struck in the temple by a rifle bullet, which penetrated and lodged in the brain, and lived about three hours in an unconscious state’

Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Surgeon. G. Shaw. A.M. Dept.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Surgn. Maj: G. Shaw. A.M.D.); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued, all with top riband bars, minor edge bruising, generally very fine or better (3) £800-£1,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from an Africa Collection.

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George Shaw served as a Surgeon Major with the Army Medical Department. He was the only British officer killed in action at the Battle of Kassassin, 28 August 1882. The following is recorded in The Lancet, 23 September 1882:

‘Very great regret is everywhere expressed at the sad death in action at Kassassin Lock of Surgeon Major Shaw. He had previously served with credit and great devotion in the Afghan campaign, and accompanied the advance of the first field hospital through the Khyber Pass in December, 1878. He was beloved by all who knew him, and endeared himself to the men of the regiments with which he served by his gentleness, his sympathy, and his devoted interest in his work. Every officer and man of the medical service of the army who knew him mourns for one of the most amiable of men who ever served in the army.’

Additional detail is provided in the Edinburgh Medical Journal of 1883:

‘The engagement at Kassassin, in the recent Anglo-Egyptian war, afforded two illustrations of the bravery of the army medical officers which are worth of being recorded, especially as in the English army the surgeons are classed as “non-combatants” and are persistently denied their proper rank and recognition. The only officer who was killed on this occasion was Surgeon Major George Shaw, who, for the purpose of rendering assistance to a wounded man, voluntarily exposed himself to a scathing fire from the enemy. He was struck in the temple by a rifle bullet, which penetrated and lodged in the brain, and lived about three hours in an unconscious state.

So far as we have seen, the lay press has had no word of commendation for the men who, relegated officially to an inferior social and military position, without the stimulus of the tremendous excitement of the officers who make or mar the game of war, and with little or no prospect of sharing the honours in the event of success, thus coolly and unflinchingly risk and lose their lives in the performance of their duty.’

The action in which Shaw was killed was further described in The Nottinghamshire Guardian of 9 November 1882:

‘The Egyptian guns thundered unceasingly. The white coated infantry were pressing in, and storm of bullets swept the position to which our men were clinging. The slender entrenchments and defences which had been hastily constructed afforded scarce efficient shelter, for some of Arabi’s men were intentionally firing at a high elevation, and the bullets were dropping over. Thus Surgeon Major Shaw, while attending a wounded man behind the earthwork, was struck mortally by a shot which seemed to drop from above, piercing the brain.’

Sold with copied research, and image of recipient.