A soldier who blew himself up when a prank went disastrously wrong is trying to trace the Black Country pal who saved his life.
Don Cox, pictured, was blown “sky high” and temporarily blinded when he set fire to gunpowder because he was “bored beyond belief” during an army exercise.
Mr Cox, formerly of Kidderminster, says he owes his life to Harry Male who rescued him and helped save him from a spell in clink for stupidity.
The pair served in the 1st Battlion Worcester Regiment during the 1950s in Germany but have not seen each other since.
Now Mr Cox, aged 73, has contacted the Express & Star to try and trace his former pal – and recalled the prank which backfired.
He said: “We were dug in with not a lot to do except cook, eat and sleep in a wet cold hole in the ground.
“So it was, that I, their intelligent gun commander, bored beyond belief, found an unexploded shell.
“I undid it, sprinkling the silver powder out into a pile. It was to Harry that I called for a match.
“Lo and behold I found myself blown sky high into the air and to some considerable distance!
“Falling into a trench I discovered I was blind and only on calling out to ‘Arry that I was blind did they come to my aid.
“From them I discovered my beret was gone, as was all my hair. The colour of my exposed face and hands was pure silver.”
Don’s eyesight returned some 40 minutes later – and the group of friends concocted a plan to keep him out of trouble.
“It was beginning to hurt bad but to report sick was just asking for trouble,” he said.
“The army discouraged such stupidity by a long term in the most terrible of places, the army prison at Colchester.
“So my happy band of warriors wrapped my exposed and blistered skin in moss and machine gun oil for me to suffer in silence.”
Don used to live at The Mount in Hartlebury, now The Stourport Manor Hotel. He now lives near Oxford.
His army number was 22872422.
Anyone with any information on Harry Male, or Harry himself can contact Express & Star reporters on 01384 353202 or Mr Cox directly on 01844 352776.
3 Comments
Glad I never was on his gun crew.
Why doesn’t he try blowing himself up again and hope that Harry finds him?
Wow !!!