Major General David Shaw will become the General Officer Commanding the Army's 2nd Division, based in Edinburgh, and the Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and takes up the post on Monday, 26 October 2009.
He has previously served in the Division as an Aide De Camp and as a Brigade Commander.
General Shaw, who was born and brought up in Sri Lanka, was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1976 and served in several regimental appointments, including two, as Forward Observation Officer and Adjutant with one of Scotland's Royal Artillery regiments, 40 Regiment Royal Artillery (The Lowland Gunners).
He later commanded 40 Regiment while they were based in Germany, Yorkshire and Bosnia.
He went on to be an instructor at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and worked in Army Personnel. He served in Bosnia in 1996 as the Spokesman and head of Media Operations for Multi-National Division South West, for the fist six months of the NATO Implementation Force mission, immediately post the Dayton Peace Agreement.
After commanding 40 Regiment, which deployed to Bosnia to take part in peacekeeping duties, the collection of illegal weapons and the monitoring of two elections, General Shaw joined the staff of the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham, before becoming commander of the Army Presentation Group.
During this time, he and his team travelled the UK giving presentations to communities about the Army and its current commitments.
General Shaw has already commanded a Brigade in his new Division, 15 (North East) Brigade, based in York, and his appointment immediately prior to taking up his post in Edinburgh was Director of Media and Communication for the Army, at Headquarters Land Forces in Wilton, Wiltshire.
His military career has seen him serving in Germany, Cyprus, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, and Kenya as well as all over the UK.General Shaw assumes command of the largest Regional Forces Division in the UK, taking in 53 per cent of the UK landmass and having almost 25,000 troops in his area, both Regular and Territorial Army.
He will also assume a ceremonial role in Edinburgh, as Governor of Edinburgh Castle, previous Governors of which have included Queen Margaret in 1487, General Sir John, The Duke of Argyll in 1712 and General Thomas Erskine Napier in 1855.
General Shaw takes over from Major General Andrew Mackay.
army.mod.uk
god save the queen !
