28th April 1916, pge 2
CORPORAL GUTTERIDGE HAS A NARROW ESCAPE
In a recent letter home Corporal Gutteridge relates a narrow escape he had.
He says:
“I was conducting a sergeant of a certain regiment (who was taking over our trenches) to a listening post in front of our firing line, when the Germans opened fire on us with a machine-gun, and I, being near the parapet, at once jumped over.
Being dark, I did not notice a rifle and bayonet that a sentry had left on the fire-step, so of course, I went full weight, carrying the rifle and bayonet to the ground with me.
Although it gave me a shaking, I did not know things were so bad until “Stand to” next morning, when the fellows started laughing at my face, and on looking in a glass I found my face was covered with blood, also my clothes.
I found that the bayonet had just missed entering just below my chin, and believe me, I shook hands with myself … Corporal Brigden, my mate, and I had another narrow escape – one shell dropped only a few yards away but did not explode.
Some do bear a charmed life; best of being born as the lucky 13th”
