SOUVENIR PISTOL
CAUSE OF MANY DEATHS VIENNA. Everybody ran to the tent from Avhich a pistol shot was heard. It was the usual story—far too usual in the British Army out here. A British soldier lay dead on Ins heckling. His best friend, a comrade through a dozen campaigns, stood crazed and rocking beside him. lie had been demonstrating his souvenir German automatic pistol once too often. He would inevitably he charged Avith manslaughter, hut I doubt if he ever thought of that. It was what his wife would think, the Avite avlio was expecting him home in three months. In a group of 40,000 men, 146 have been accidently shot by comrades since May 9, and 47 have died. Twenty-four men are still awaiting court-martial for manslaughter. They will not be punished harshly. To see them is to realise how they have punished themselves.—Daily Herald reporter.
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Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 248, 1 August 1946, Page 3
Word Count
147SOUVENIR PISTOL Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 248, 1 August 1946, Page 3
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