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Description: | H Russell
image: the outstretched arm, clothed in khaki, of a soldier with a clear glass bottle filled with rum on the ground next
to the man's upturned palm. This is set against muddy ground with some vegetation visible, suggesting a shell-hole.
The artist took part in the attack on the Gommecourt salient by 56th (London) Division on 1 July 1916 whilst serving
with the London Rifle Brigade. This was a diversionary assault, which formed part of the attack on the first day of the Battle of the
Somme. Russell was wounded as part of the first wave of the attack: "I was hit by bullets...I crawled away a short distance into a shallow
hole made by a shell. Another man I knew crawled into the hole also. There was an intense bombardment going on from both sides and the
situation was appalling. Before long I was again wounded and then a shell burst under or very close to us, wounding me very seriously...At
this, I came to the conclusion that there was no hope of survival and thought that...if I should by a miracle survive the bombardment, I
should not be in a fit state to live a useful life. I therefore thought it best to put an end to my life". After realising that he no
longer had a phial of morphine tablets with him and discarding the idea of taking his life by detonating a Mills bomb "as being only what
the Germans were trying to do", Russell opted to drink a sauce bottle full of rum that he had with him in one pull, having been told
previously by medical staff that it could be fatal to drink intoxicants if bleeding from wounds. Rather than killing him, the rum only
reduced him to a drunken stupor and after waking Russell managed to crawl back to the British trenches in the early hours of 2nd July. He
later recovered from his wounds. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Third Army 5th Battalion Battle of Gommecourt Western Front military suffering eating / drinking Russell Henry Military Personnel British Army artist's response London Regiment 56th Division 169th Brigade First World War Battles of the Somme 1916 | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Russell, H | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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