Hugh was educated at Orleton, Scarborough; at Loretto School; at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated with honours in 1910; and at the Middlesex Hospital, where he was a scholar and prizeman, and qualified M.R.C.S. (Eng) , L.R..C.P. (Lond.) in 1912 and M.B. (Cantab) in 1914. He also gained a B.A. Hugh was a keen sportsman:- in 1910, whilst at Cambridge, he gained his Blue when he stroked the 'Varsity boat against the second of R C Bourne's famous four Oxford crews. The same year he won, with Eric Fairbairn, the Lowe Double Sculls. He also rowed No 2 in the Jesus boat which won the International Race at Ghent in 1911. He was also the captain of Jesus College Rugby Club, and of the Middlesex Hospital XV. Hugh received his commission in the R.A.M.C. on 26th July 1912. He was stationed at Caterham when war was declared, attached to the Irish Guards. He left for the front on 12th August 1914 and came into action on the 23rd. From 1st - 12th September, he became a prisoner of war. His Commanding Officer, Lt/Col Lord Ardee wrote "He was killed while attending to a wounded man in the firing line during an attack on Rentel, eight to ten miles east of Ypres..... The way in which he insisted on attending to wounded men under fire was the admiration of all of us. On more than one occasion I have advised him not to expose himself so much, but he always would do it, out of a sense of duty. He was shot in the mouth and through the neck while bending down and was killed instantly." Another wrote "The battalion were in action in Polygon Wood four and a half miles due east of Ypres. There were two companies in reserve: two in the main line of trenches, and a few outposts (rather a risky job unless in very good cover). Needless to say, the usual place of medical officers is with the reserves, or further back. On this occasion the cover for the outposts was rotten. They were fairly crawling along like caterpillars under rather a bad fire, till one of them was laid out, and lay there in the open thrashing about. Orr-Ewing (Scots Guards), at present commanding us, said at dinner the other night that he was appalled to see Shields strolling out across our trenches (all our men in the trenches with their heads down), and go and fish out some bandages and tie him up. Needless to say, that he was hit before he had been there one moment; the shot hit him in the neck and killed him outright." Capt, the Hon. H Alexander also wrote: "I think the nicest thing I ever heard was said by one of our men, who said, 'Mr Shields is the bravest man I ever saw.' The officers said he was too brave and told him but he always said he felt it was his duty to help wounded men whenever he could. If anyone has done his duty and a great deal more, he has. He was with us all the time up to Villers-Coterets, where he stayed behind with the wounded and was taken by the Germans; that was 1st Sept. He rejoined us again at Soupir. It was here that we went up the Castle together. It was at Soupir where Hugh did such frightfully good work by carrying the wounded, both English and German, out of a burning farm which was being very heavily shelled. We moved from there about 20 Oct to Ypres. Hugh died in front of a place called Roulers; he was attending to a wounded man in the open during an attack not more than 200 yards from the enemy. We are all very sorry, as he was so popular in my regiment, but there is consolation in the thought that he himself would not have wished a better death, and he could not have died more gallantly." Hugh was recommended for the Victoria Cross by his Brigadier, Lord Cavan. He was buried in the grounds of Huize Beckenhost, Zillibeke. Hugh was the elder son of the Rev. Arthur John Shields, rector of Thornford, Sherborne, and Mary Forbes, daughter of the Rev. W B Holland, Rector of Brasted, Kent. He was to have been married in October 1914 to his cousin Dorothey, 3rd Daughter of Col. John Hornby, 12th Lancers.