James Stewart (“Monty”) McConnachie
BMJ 2003; 327 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7412.453-c (Published 21 August 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:453Data supplement
- James Stewart ("Monty") McConnachie
Former consultant surgeon Tredegar and Nevill Hall Hospitals (b Fraserburgh 1913; q Aberdeen 1938; BSc, FRCS), d 29 April 2003.
Coming from a medical family, he had a distinguished undergraduate career, gaining five gold medals and one scholarship, and was both rugby captain and athletic association president.
Following house jobs in the professorial units with Professor (later Sir) Stanley Davidson and Professor (later Sir) James Learmonth, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at the outbreak of the second world war. In the 51st Highland Division he was active in Europe, within the British Expeditionary Force, including the evacuation from St Valéry. In the Far East he was a prisoner of war in the infamous Changi jail. For the remainder of the war he was in the jungle camps associated with the "Death Railway," bordering the Gulf of Siam, where he operated along with the famous Australian surgeon Weary Dunlop.
After the war, he was surgical registrar in Inverness and then senior registrar in Aberdeen until 1949. His consultant appointment was in Tredegar, where he succeeded Dr E T Davies, immortalised in The Citadel by Dr A J Cronin. For 20 years in Tredegar, between the General and St James’ Hospital, he was full time and singlehanded. He also operated at the Redwood Memorial Hospital in Rhymney with the help of the Rhymney doctors. His wife, Dot, along with Dr Alun Evans, gave the anaesthetics. He was a founder member of the Welsh Surgical Society in 1953. He thus played an important role in the development of surgical services in south Wales, culminating with the opening of a new district general hospital in Abergavenny, to which he moved, with two other surgeons, at its opening in 1969.
Predeceased by his first wife and son, he leaves a wife, Megan, who has many medical relatives. [R F Rintoul]
See more
- Introductory AddressProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 1-4; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.1
- Report of the Meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Provincial Association at Bury St. Edmond'sProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 10-13; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.10
- Mr. Warburton's Bill for the Regulation of the Medical ProfessionProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 13-15; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.13
- An Atlas of Plates, illustrative of the Principles and Practice of Obstetric Medicine and Surgery, with descriptive LetterpressProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 4; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.4
- A Practical Treatise on the Diseases peculiar to Women, illustrated by Cases, &cProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 4-5; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.4-a