From 'The Times', London, 17th February 2003

War Bullet No Pain In The Neck

Doctors treating a Second World War veteran found a bullet that had been lodged in his neck for 63 years.

Robert Kincaid,84, who was a Corporal with the 7th Battalion, The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, learnt about the bullet while in hospital after falling and hitting his head.

He said that it had never caused him pain and that he had always believed that it had passed through his neck.

''I was absolutely amazed when the doctor said, 'did you know you had a bullet in your neck?' ''

Mr Kincaid was 21 when he was shot while his unit was involved in defending British troops during the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. He was happy not to have the bullet removed ''in case it starts causing me problems'' he said.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

I heard about this yesterday while listening to the radio. It is incredible that he did not know that he had a bullet in his neck. You would of thought though that after 60+ years he would of had some pain with it.

Jet

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And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

Something like this, maybe? Well not really, as this would probably cause some headache...



I guess schrapnels are quite usual to have but a bullet..well, depending on its location. I think they are only removed if their movement is thought as dangerous with time, or they are felt uncomfortable by the patient. Usually those bullets are covered with sorta scar tissue with time so they don´t cause any infections later on.

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I heard it too. Very strange story, I must say!!!!

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Well. It is not that strange, my grandfather, captain William A. Jolly had a little npiec of iron from a bullet that he obtained in the Somme in 1916 and kept it in his shoulder until the day he died. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun