From: Rusty�Bullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Express 19.10.00 A Corporal the Germans just couldn't kill BY ALUN REES He was a brave young corporal who was gassed, bayoneted, buried alive and chewed by rats all in one day. But against all the odds World War One soldier George Webber survived. And now the letters, postcards, medals and even a piece of shrapnel which are part of his recently- discovered story are to go on sale. Auctioneers Dominic Winter stumbled across the details of the indestructible Welshman while preparing items for a military sale in November. Richard Brook, spokes-man for the Swindon firm, said: "This is the most exceptional personal history from the First World War I have ever come across. "Corporal Webber is a complete unknown. The extraordinary story has stayed within his family for the last 82 years and only came to light when the family decided to sell his collection. "He was an exceptional character who made a complete recovery from the most atrocious wounds and went on to lead a quiet life as a railway guardsman. "Ironically he died in 1949 when two medicines he was prescribed by his doctor reacted with each other and poisoned him. It really is very sad when you think about all that he went through." Corporal Webber, from Newport, Gwent, enlisted at the start of the war in 1914, joining the First Monmouthshire Regi-ment, and fought at Ypres and Arras before transferring to the newly-formed Tank Division in 1916 as a driver. His received his atrocious wounds in December 1917 at the Battle of Cambrai in Northern France during a German counter-attack. In a letter written for the sale, his family explain how he was overcome with mustard gas during the fighting. While he struggled for breath an explosion went off nearby, spraying his left side with shrapnel and knocking him off his feet. Then, as he lay helpless on the ground an advancing German soldier bayonetted him from front to back. Unconscious and bleeding, he was assumed dead by his comrades who buried him in a shallow grave. But, as the letter explains, he regained consciousness and then realised he had been buried. The letter goes on: "Eventually George managed to push his hand up through the earth - which must have been some time later because part of his chest had been eaten by rats. Fortunately he was spotted and dug up." He later underwent 23 operations and eventually made a full recovery. Among the items for sale will be his bayonet and a piece of shrapnel taken from his body. ----------------------------------- Ah, you can always rely on a bad doctor to finish anyone off. Rusty Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
