Bernard Henry Gilbert Shaw was born on 11 October 1893 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, the second of the ten children of the Reverend Edward Domett Shaw (1860-1937) and Agnes Shaw née Gilbey (1867-1944). His father would later become the Right Reverend Edward Domett Shaw, The Bishop of Buckinghamshire. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1893 in the Bishop's Stortford registration district, and on 29 October 1893 he was baptised in St Michael's Church, Bishop's Stortford.
He was shown as aged 7 years in the 1901 census, living in 'The Vicarage', Castle Street, High Wycombe, with his parents, five siblings: Edward Alfred Shaw (1892-1916); Arthur Gilbey Shaw (1895-1915); Agnes Mary Shaw (1896-1995); Vera Elizabeth Shaw (1898-1996) and Robert John Shaw (1900-1995), together with a cook, a parlour maid and two nurses. His father was described as a clergyman in the Church of England.
He was educated at Marlborough College (Foundation Scholar) between January 1907 and December 1911. He was shown on the 1911 census as aged 17 years and one of the college's 370 students. His family were recorded as residing in an eleven roomed property in Reynolds Road, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire and his father described himself as an Archdeacon (Church of England). While at Marlborough College he was in their cricket eleven (1911), scoring 94 against Rugby College at Lord's cricket ground, Marylebone, London.
Having left Marlborough College he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey. He was gazetted to Second Lieutenant on 3rd September 1913 in The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) and promoted to full Lieutenant on 6th May 1913. While at Sandhurst he was the captain of both the hockey and cricket elevens.
He entered France on 4th November 1914 and was killed in action, aged 21 years, on 19th December 1914 at Neuve Chapelle, France. As he has no known grave he is commemorated on Stone 9.F. on the Le Touret Memorial to the Missing, Le Touret Military Cemetery, 39 Rue du Bois, Richebourg-l'Avoue, France.
On 7 June 1915 his army effects totalling £4-2s-6d were sent to his father who was also sent his £40-0s-0d war gratuity on 16 August 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal and these were sent to his father at Christ Church, Oxford, Oxfordshire.
He is shown as 'SHAW. B.H. LIEUT. 2ND.BATT. W.YORKS.' on the Quebec Chapel war memorial at the Church of The Annunciation, Bryanston Street, London, W1H 7AH. He is also commemorated on the Beaconsfield War Memorial, outside St Mary and All Saints Church, Windsor End, Beaconsfield, on the The Shaw Window in All Saints Church, Castle Street, High Wycombe, HP13 6RF, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, and on the Marlborough College Roll of Honour.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
