German Watch Saves Soldier’s Life

Wednesday 4^th August: Today is one year since war was declared. Sergeant A. Humphries of the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment, has had a remarkable escape from death at the Front. The Sergeant went out with the second draft of the now famous County Regiment and landed at Zeebrugge on October 6th. He took part in the first great battle of Ypres and fought continuously on until the struggles of Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. Since those fights he has been in the trenches at Festered and Givenchy and on the night of July 31st he was engaged in repairing the parapets of the trenches under continual fire from the enemy’s snipers, whose aim, of course, was uncertain in the darkness. However, at about 10 o’clock a German bullet found its billet, piercing Sergeant Humphries’ tunic right above the heart and then glancing across the body, inflicted a severe flesh wound. When the tunic was removed it was seen that a watch which the Sergeant carried had saved his life, for the bullet had gone clean through the face of the time-piece, smashed the works and emerged at the back, in an oblique direction, it being evident that the metal works of the watch had turned the bullet out of its course. The irony of it all is that plainly stamped upon the works of the watch are the words “Made in Germany”.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 10th September 1915