WORLD’S PLUCKIEST MAN

Hawera Star, Volume L, 14 February 1931, Page 16

WORLD’S PLUCKIEST MAN

IN a small bedroom at the top of a house in St. Paucras, N.W., a “Daily Mail” reporter met. a man who is probably the unluckiest but happiest in the world.

He is Scrgt. A. M. Nichols, a St. Duns', an ’s man, who has no, eyes, no hands, and very few ribs, and lie is recovering from his fifth motoring accident, which has left him with one of his good ribs broken, two others badly damaged, a lacerated knee, and concussion. On top of this he has developed pleurisy and bronchitis. Wherever Bergt. Nichols goes he runs into misfortune, but every time Fate deals him a blow he laughs and says, “Well, boys, we are not dead vet.”

Bergt. Nichols, who is 41, but looks no more than 30, said: “When the war broke out I was a Reservist, aged 25, and I was called up. But I was not an Old Contemptible for very long, for, on September 20, 3014, they hit .me in the leg with two bullets and some shrapnel. “In 1915 I was involved in a premature explosion of bombs and was injured again. “A colleague and I were demonstrate ing how to blow up a barricade. By mistake an instantaneous fuse instead of a time fuse had been fixed to tne nigh explosive, and my colleague ana I got it all. “My pal died after 24 hours, while 1 lost my eyes and my hands, and in addition got 500 wounds —at least that was the doctor’s estimate.

Has Not Had Appendicitis Yet

“The late Sir Alfred Fripp sawed away the ribs on my left side, took out the shrapnel, and in a month’s time I won a dancing competition.

“ I learned to ride a tandem, cycle— ; on the back scat, of course. “There was another chap at St. Dunstall’s who had lost all tut one finger of his two hands, and we arranged a tandem ride from London to Brighton. We started at 4 a.,m. one Saturday morning from Westminster t:nd were within eight miles of Brighton when 1 was thrown off. My head struck the hub of a motor car and the back wheel severed one of mv artificial hands.

“I now do propaganda work for Bt. Dun stan’s. “I told the doctor that. I wanted to get up because I have a lot of letters to type-—oh, yes, 1 can type all right on my special machine—but he said I could not as I had developed bronchitis. Come round and see me next week; I expect I shall have appendicitis. I haven’t had that, yet.” “If anyone dares me to do something,” said the sergeant later, “I try. to do it, and as a rule I succeed. That is one reason why I am the happiest man alive. I can play'bridge and tell) you after the game every card that has. been played and by whom. j “I will play any tune on the piano,] if you give me a few minutes in which] to learn it. I can swim with anyone. I “Another reason why I am happy is] that I never think of myself, l.ife is j great fun.”