A Hole In The Arm Is Better Than No Arm At All.

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I've just read @JudyEv 's post about soldiers in WW1 and thought I would tell you about my grandfather. He had a bullet hole in his arm, and I remember poking my finger into it while he told me how he got it. He was already in the army as a regular soldier when war broke out in 1914. He'd seen action in India and Afghanistan, and his regiment was recalled to go to fight in France. They were amongst the first troops there, but they were poorly equipped, not even having steel helmets. Instead they had Foreign Legion type hats, those with a flap down the back to protect them from the sun in India. Despite this he managed to get through the first two years comparatively unscathed, even surviving a gas attack at Ypres (they called it Wipers). He and his comrades managed to do this by shoving sods of earth over their mouths and noses to try and filter the gas. Then in 1916 he was in the trenches and got a bullet in his arm. The doctor decided to amputate, but Grandad caught German Measles and the operation was put off. When he'd recovered sufficiently to withstand the operation he was seen by a different doctor, who decided the arm could be saved. I've always thought it ironic that his arm was saved due to 'German' measles, when of course it was the Germans who had shot him. He was invalided out of the army and was able to live a full and useful life. As a child I used to love sitting on his knee listening to his tales. Do you remember any stories your Grandad told you? ------------------------------------------------ Here is the link to JudyEv 's post : Photo - Wikimedia Commons.