Ten Years Ago Today, item 23

• December 12, 2016 01:52:19 Sue Bryant

  16

  A came but this time only one head. So

  evidently I had drawn first blood. None of the

  others with me could see him, and I carefully

  drew a sight on this remaining head. but I was

  too late. Before I could squeeze the trigger I received

  a terrific blow on my arm which tumbled me

  down into the trench like a nine pin.

                  At first I thought a fragment of shell had

  severed my arm. I couldn’t see or feel my left

  arm and was only conscious of an awful pain near

  my shoulder. Calling my friend the Welshman

  I told him my arm had gone. But he produced

  the arm alright. It was hanging round the back of

  me somewhere. Knowing a certain amount of

  physiology I realized my arm was broken & t here

  in front of my tunic sleeve was a tiny hole.

                  I know of course I was finished. I couldn’t

  carry on with a smashed arm so after cutting

  away the sleeve & putting on a field dressing I

  proceeded to get away from the war as fast as I

  could. I had to negotiate the bombing stop once

  more. It was hard enough to get over with two

  arms. Now that I had one absolutely useless it

  was more so. I experienced then the “windiest”

  moment of my life (You will know the meaning of

  windiest no doubt if not ask anyone who was

  in the Great War). I didn’t know how serious

  my wound was but I knew enough to know that

  a broken bone meant a fairly long spell to heal

  and believe me that’s all that mattered.

  
  

• December 12, 2016 01:50:21 Sue Bryant

  16

  A came but this time only one head. So

  evidently I had drawn first blood. None of the

  others with me could see him, and I carefully

  drew a sight on this remaining head. but I was

  too late. Before I could squeeze the trigger I received

  a terrific blow on my arm which tumbled me

  down into the trench like a nine pin.

                  At first I thought a fragment of shell had

  severed my arm. I couldn’t see or feel my left

  arm and was only conscious of an awful pain near

  my shoulder. Calling my friend the Welshman

  I told him my arm had gone. But he produced

  the arm alright. It was hanging round the back of

  me somewhere. Knowing a certain amount of

  physiology I realized my arm was broken & t here

  in front of my tunic sleeve was a tiny hole.

                  I know of course I was finished. I couldn’t

  carry on with a smashed arm so after cutting

  away the sleeve & putting on a field dressing I

  proceeded to get away from the war as fast as I

  could. I had to negotiate the bombing stop once

  more. It was hard enough to get over with two

  arms. Now that I had one absolutely useless it

  was more so. I experienced then the “windiest”

  moment of my life (You will know the meaning of

  windiest no doubt if not ask anyone who was

  in the Great War). I didn’t know how serious

  my wound was but I knew enough to know that

  a broken bone meant a fairly long spell to heal

  and believe me that’s all that mattered.

  
  

  
  

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