Name
Angus MacNab
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/11/1914
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Royal Army Medical Corps
attd. 1st/14th Bn. London Regiment (London Scottis
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden
Pre War
Angus Macnab was born in Invercargill on 31 Aug 1875 to Alexander Macnab, a sheep Farmer, and Janet (nee McQueen). He was the youngest of 8 Brothers and 1 sister, of which only 4 brothers survived childhood. Angus graduated BA and BSc from Otago University in 1894 and came to Edinburgh registering in 1895 to study Medicine. On the 1901 Census he living in Edinburgh and described as a Med Student. He was a distinguished Rugby player (1st Reserve for Scotland) and President of the Athletic Club. Angus graduated MB ChB in 1901.
He went to South Africa in 1901 with Edinburgh Hospital (one of nine charitable hospitals for the South African War) and on his return became House Surgeon in the Ophthalmic Department of the Royal Infirmary under Professor G A Berry. He next studied ophthalmology in Vienna and in Freiburg under Axenfeld, and became so proficient in German as to contribute articles to the German medical papers. In 1903 he acted as Refractionist at the Central London Ophthalmic Hospital, and was Clinical Assistant at the Royal Ophthalmic Hospital, Moorfields. Meanwhile he studied general surgery at King's College and the London Hospitals, and passed the FRCS at the end of 1904. He married Evelyn Calder on 27 Jan 1904 in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. They were to have 2 children, John Angus, born 1906, and Evelyn May (born 1910). On the 1911 Census the family were living at 118, Harley Street where Angus was in practice.
He enlisted in Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Force) and was gazetted as Captain in 1911. He was attached to 1/14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish) as Medical Officer.
Wartime Service
The 1/14th (County of London) battalion (London Scottish) marched from their Buckingham Gate, London HQ in early August 1914, and camped at Garston Manor, Abbots Langley, close to the Asylum. MacNab joined them on 15th August. The London Scottish remained at Garston until 16th September when they were sent to France via Southampton, and disembarked at Le Havre on 16th September 1914. The battalion was the first Territorial unit to see action in the War and arrived at Ypres on 29th October having been transported by a fleet of thirty-four London buses, moving into position near Hooge. They were soon urgently called into the Front Line near Messines on 31 October 1914 to stem the German advance near Hun’s farm. Facing overwhelming numbers the Scots took heavy casualties and eventually withdrew, having lost 394 of their 700 officers and men, and having to leave many of their wounded behind. During this action Angus MacNab was killed.
An eye-witness stated that “Dr MacNab was bayoneted in the neck whilst bending down attending two wounded men. The two wounded men were also bayoneted. It was bright moonlight and he had a white badge and a Red Cross on his arm, was wearing a blue tunic and was unarmed".
His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres.
Biography
Additional Information
This man's connection to Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden is not confirmed, but seems very likely.Angus MacNab was identified when the Leavesden Hospital War Memorial was discovered at the Watford Museum in 2019. His connection to Leavesden Hospital may only have been through friends or colleagues through medical training or during his training of some 100 London Scottish as stretcher bearers however it was sufficient for him to be remembered on the War memorial. Arrears of £97 15s 11d and Probate of £9242 2s 8d was granted to his widow Evelyn.Older Brother Robert (1864 – 1917) was at one time New Zealand Minister of Agriculture
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Roger Yapp (Back to the Front Project), ourwatford history.org.uk.
