John McGhie
Encyclopedia
Major-General
John McGhie CB
(1914-1985), was a Scottish-born leading Army psychiatrist, author, former Director of Army Psychiatry and President of the Ministry of Defence Army Medical Board.
, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1914, John McGhie received his education at the famous Hamilton Academy
school from which he matriculated at the University of Glasgow
, graduating in medicine in 1936. The following year McGhie was commissioned in the RAMC . Posted to India in 1938, he was subsequently appointed Medical Officer at the British Military Hospital at Rawalpindi
and served in the Burma Campaign
from 1942-45, commanding 47 Field Ambulance.
Following the Second World War
, McGhie achieved his Diploma in Psychiatric Medicine in 1947, subsequently serving as Command Psychiatrist in UK Commands and from 1949-52 as Advisor in Psychiatry to the Far East Land Forces. For the next nine years McGhie worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital
at Netley as Officer in Charge, Psychiatric Division, and latterly as Officer Commanding the hospital and in 1961 he was appointed Director of Army Psychiatry in the Royal Army Medical College. In 1967 McGhie took up the appointment as Deputy Director of Medical Services in the Malaya
and Western Commands before returning, in 1970, to the post of Director of Army Psychiatry as well as being appointed Consultant Psychiatrist to the British Army, with the rank of Major-General
.
Retiring from the Army in 1976, John McGhie continued work as a consultant psychiatrist to government bodies and was appointed President of the Ministry of Defence
Army Medical Board, finally retiring in the year of his death, dying at Lenham
, Kent, on 12 September 1985.
in 1962; appointed Honorary Physician to H. M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1971; awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
in the following year and invested CB
and Commander of the Order of St John in 1976.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
John McGhie CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1914-1985), was a Scottish-born leading Army psychiatrist, author, former Director of Army Psychiatry and President of the Ministry of Defence Army Medical Board.
Early life and career
Born at LarkhallLarkhall
Larkhall is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France.Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the Avon Water to the West...
, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1914, John McGhie received his education at the famous Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy was a school situated in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.Described as "one of the finest schools in Scotland" in the Cambridge University Press County Biography of 1910, Hamilton Academy featured in the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association Magazine article series on...
school from which he matriculated at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, graduating in medicine in 1936. The following year McGhie was commissioned in the RAMC . Posted to India in 1938, he was subsequently appointed Medical Officer at the British Military Hospital at Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
and served in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
from 1942-45, commanding 47 Field Ambulance.
Following the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, McGhie achieved his Diploma in Psychiatric Medicine in 1947, subsequently serving as Command Psychiatrist in UK Commands and from 1949-52 as Advisor in Psychiatry to the Far East Land Forces. For the next nine years McGhie worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital
Netley Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from Florence Nightingale. Often visited by Queen Victoria,...
at Netley as Officer in Charge, Psychiatric Division, and latterly as Officer Commanding the hospital and in 1961 he was appointed Director of Army Psychiatry in the Royal Army Medical College. In 1967 McGhie took up the appointment as Deputy Director of Medical Services in the Malaya
Malaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
and Western Commands before returning, in 1970, to the post of Director of Army Psychiatry as well as being appointed Consultant Psychiatrist to the British Army, with the rank of Major-General
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
.
Retiring from the Army in 1976, John McGhie continued work as a consultant psychiatrist to government bodies and was appointed President of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
Army Medical Board, finally retiring in the year of his death, dying at Lenham
Lenham
Lenham is a market village in Kent situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. The picturesque square in the village has two public houses , a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room....
, Kent, on 12 September 1985.
Publications
Among Major General McGhie’s published works were A Survey of Service Psychiatry in the Far East, Endocrine Investigations in Psychiatric Casualty in the Army and Anxiety State in the Army associated with Overacting Thyroid.Awards and honours
John McGhie was Mentioned in Despatches in 1943; awarded the Order of St. JohnVenerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1962; appointed Honorary Physician to H. M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1971; awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
in the following year and invested CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and Commander of the Order of St John in 1976.