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A Quorn Soldier's Lucky Escapes - 1918
Loughborough Herald - 3rd January 1918
Private Frank Bunney, writing to his parents at Quorn, relates exciting experiences. Under date November 27 he states his regiment was specially mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's dispatch.
"All that I can tell you now is that it was my own company that bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered heavy loss. I was in the bombing raid, being second bayonet man. Still, all I need tell you now is that we are truly thankful to get out alive. Last Friday I had two wonderful escapes. About 5.30 in the morning I was hit by a piece of shrapnel, which pierced my gas respirator worn on the chest; passed through this and a muffler, into my pocket books, photos, and leather cases, my thick steel mirror, and so checking its pace a good deal. It passed into my leathern jetson, through my woollen vest and shirt, and just marking under my right arm. I felt at the time as if a hammer had hit me a hard blow on the shoulder, swinging me clean round.
We gained our trench, and immediately started serious work. I saw a great deal that day. On Friday, about 4.30, when we had gained a good deal of trench, and all seemed to be going well, though the fighting had been stiff, I had a second close shave, for a bullet fired not more than 20 yards away hit my steel helmet on the right side and passed through it, just grazed my head, and fetching blood and bursting out of the front, making a hole quite long enough for a hen's egg to pass through. My head swam, and I felt awfully ill, and went back to the aid station, where the doctor said I had better go down to the dug-out and lie down a bit. Most of my comrades gave me up as killed, for at the time the bullet struck me a bomb dropped near. My mate was badly wounded, and sent down to hospital."
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Submitted on: |
2012-09-23 |
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Submitted by: |
Kathryn Paterson |
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Artefact ID: |
1682 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=1682 |
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Print: |
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