Alexander Biggam

Who is Alexander Biggam?

Major-General Sir Alexander Gordon Biggam KBE CB FRSE FRCPE FRCP was a Scottish physician and soldier who served as Director of Study of Edinburgh Post-Graduate Board for Medicine.

Educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and Edinburgh University Biggam started his career as a House Physician and Surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. In 1912 he was commissioned in the Royal Army Medical Corps and saw active service in France during World War I, where he was wounded in 1915. He then saw service in India from 1916-21. He was awarded the OBE for services with the Waziristan Field Force on the North-West Frontier of India.

Biggam was director of the medical unit at Kasr-el-Aini Hospital in Cairo, and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Egyptian University, for which he was awarded the Order of the Nile 3rd class. He served as examiner in medicine for the Kitchener School of Medicine in Khartoum and the American University of Beirut. He was appointed an honorary physician to King George VI in 1937.

Biggam served in India and Burma during World War II and was Consulting Physician to the Army during 1941-7.