10 Crazy Wikipedia Profiles From History

Back in History class, we're taught to learn about the traditionally significant people who changed our world: from the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, the Wright Brothers, FDR, to Lewis and Clark, each and every one of those names (should) ring a bell. Yet, throughout the world's major wars and adventures into uncharted territory, there have been many unsung individual achievements not talked about in our classrooms. Some are too crazy to believe, yet many are real life versions of what we see in the movies. From WWII soldiers going back into battle in the name of their country after losing arms and ears, to adventurers who face the toughest odds in order to go where no man has been, here are 10 Crazy Wikipedia Profiles From History.

Jack Churchill

Born: September 16, 1906
Birthplace: Surrey, England or Hong Kong
Occupation: Lieutenant Colonel British Army
Nickname: Mad Jack and Fighting Jack Churchill
Dead Or Alive: Died March 8, 1996, age 89

Jack Churchill is what legends are made of: during World War II, ol' Jack came ready for battle armed with a longbow and Scottish broadsword. The above picture shows Churchill going into combat with his sword in hand, while other soldiers carried more traditional weapons. Look at that picture and rethink your entire life. He is known to be the only British solider to have killed an enemy using a longbow during WWII. Churchill ended up being sent to a concentration camp when he was captured by Germans after one of his squads were killed, and when he was found, he was playing his bagpipes. Like a boss.

Highlights:

" In May 1940 Churchill and his unit, the Manchester Regiment, ambushed a German patrol near L'Epinette, France. Churchill gave the signal to attack by cutting down the enemy Feldwebel (sergeant) with a barbed arrow, becoming the only British soldier known to have felled an enemy with a longbow in WWII. After fighting at Dunkirk, he volunteered for the Commandos."

"Churchill was second in command of No. 3 Commando in Operation Archery, a raid on the German garrison atVågsøy, Norway on 27 December 1941. As the ramps fell on the first landing craft, Churchill leapt forward from his position playing 'March of the Cameron Men' on his bagpipes, before throwing a grenade and running into battle in the bay."

"He is known for the motto 'any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.'"

"In July 1943, as commanding officer, he led 2 Commando from their landing site at Catania in Sicily with his trademark Scottish broadsword slung around his waist, a longbow and arrows around his neck and his bagpipes under his arm, which he also did in the landings at Salerno. Leading 2 Commando, Churchill was ordered to capture a German observation post outside of the town of La Molina, controlling a pass leading down to theSalerno beach-head. He led the attack by 2 and 41 Commandos, infiltrated the town and captured the post, taking 42 prisoners including a mortar squad. Churchill led the men and prisoners back down the pass, with the wounded being carried on carts pushed by German prisoners. He commented that it was 'an image from the Napoleonic Wars.' He received the Distinguished Service Order for leading this action at Salerno."

"In May he was ordered to raid the German held island of Brač. He organized a 'motley army' of 1,500 Partisans, 43 Commando and one troop from 40 Commando for the raid. The landing was unopposed but on seeing the eyries from which they later encountered German fire, the Partisans decided to defer the attack until the following day. Churchill's bagpipes signalled the remaining Commandos to battle. After being strafed by an RAF Spitfire, Churchill decided to withdraw for the night and to re-launch the attack the following morning. The following morning, one flanking attack was launched by 43 Commando with Churchill leading the elements from 40 Commando. The Partisans remained at the landing area; only Churchill and six others managed to reach the objective. A mortar shell killed or wounded everyone but Churchill, who was playing 'Will Ye No Come Back Again?' on his pipes as the Germans advanced. He was knocked unconscious by grenades and captured. He was later flown to Berlin for interrogation and then transferred to Sachsenhausen concentration camp."

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Daniel Inouye

Born: September 7, 1924
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation: Captain in the United States Army, U.S. Senator
Dead Or Alive: Died December 17, 2012

Daniel Inouye's amazing story of courage and patriotism started way back when he volunteered his medical services when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. After that, he showed his bravery overseas during WWII, and after severing his arm in battle, he came back to the states and became a U.S. Senator from Hawaii. He was a Medal of Honor recipient, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and he remained a U.S. Senator until his death, which made him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in U.S. history.

Highlights:

'As his squad distracted the third machine gunner, Inouye crawled toward the final bunker, eventually drawing within 10 yards. As he raised himself up and cocked his arm to throw his last grenade into the fighting position, a German inside the bunker fired a rifle grenade that struck him on the right elbow, severing most of his arm and leaving his own primed grenade reflexively "clenched in a fist that suddenly didn't belong to me anymore." Inouye's horrified soldiers moved to his aid, but he shouted for them to keep back out of fear his severed fist would involuntarily relax and drop the grenade. While the German inside the bunker reloaded his rifle, Inouye pried the live grenade from his useless right hand and transferred it to his left. As the German aimed his rifle to finish him off, Inouye tossed the grenade into the bunker and destroyed it. He stumbled to his feet and continued forward, silencing the last German resistance with a one-handed burst from his Thompson before being wounded in the leg and tumbling unconscious to the bottom of the ridge. When he awoke to see the concerned men of his platoon hovering over him, his only comment before being carried away was to gruffly order them to return to their positions, since, as he pointed out, "nobody called off the war!"

The remainder of Inouye's mutilated right arm was later amputated at a field hospital without proper anesthesia, as he had been given too much morphine at an aid station and it was feared any more would lower his blood pressure enough to kill him.

Although Inouye had lost his right arm, he remained in the military until 1947 and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. At the time of his leaving the Army, he was a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.'

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Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne

Born: January 11, 1915
Birthplace: Newtownards, County Down, Ireland
Occupation: British Army soldier, Solicitor, Ireland Rugby Union International, Amateur Boxer, Founding Member of the Special Air Service (SAS)
Dead Or Alive: Died December 14, 1955

"When you enter a room full of the enemy, kill the first one that moves – he has started to think and is therefore dangerous."

Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne was known for challenging every man in the bar he was drinking in to a fight—which he would end up winning. As much as he was a motherfucker, Paddy knew how to fight wars when he wasn't fighting men in bars, and he knew how to win those battles, which would cement his legacy.

Highlights:

"His leadership on the raid had attracted the attention of Captain David Stirling who recruited him as one of the early members of the Special Air Service (SAS). Mayne was under arrest for hitting his Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes, and his release from arrest was obtained so that he could join the newly formed SAS. From November 1941 through to the end of 1942, Mayne participated in many night raids deep behind enemy lines in the deserts of Egypt and Libya, where the SAS wrought havoc by destroying many enemy aircraft on the ground. Mayne pioneered the use of military Jeeps to conduct surprise hit-and-run raids, particularly on enemy airfields. It was claimed that he had personally destroyed up to 100 aircraft. His first successful raid at Tamet on 14 December 1941, where aircraft and petrol dumps were destroyed, helped keep the SAS in existence, following the failure of the previous initial raid behind enemy lines. The regular Army wanted to disband the SAS but the success helped keep the critics at bay. For his part in the Tamet raid Mayne was awarded the DSO."

"During the 1938 Lions tour it is said that Mayne relaxed by 'wrecking hotels and fighting dockers'. During the War, his men admired him in battle but were very wary of him during quiet times once he had had a few drinks. Many urban legends of his post-war years exist in Belfast and Newtownards. These mostly tell of incidents in which, after drinking for several hours, Mayne would challenge every man in the bar to a fight, which he would invariably win. Other accounts describe him as a courageous leader of his men and a ferocious opponent. Mayne is also described as growing increasingly withdrawn as the war progressed, preferring books to the company of friends."

"The supreme confidence that Mayne inspired as a leader stands out. There is abundant evidence of the affection and respect in which he was held. But it was his unique ability to convince men, caught in the tightest grip of battle, that all would be well, which shines through. Tough, hardened soldiers, officers and NCOs, have quite independently used the same word: 'No matter how black things looked, once Paddy appeared, it was 'magic'.' Some have referred to his ability as being that of soldierly genius.

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Simo Häyhä

Born: December 17, 1905
Birthplace: Rautjärvi, Finland
Occupation: Finnish Sniper
Nickname: White Death
Dead Or Alive: Died April 1, 2002, age 96

Simo Häyhä is a man who didn't discover what he was truly good at until he had to rise to the occasion. He lived a normal life in Finland as a farmer, and did a mandatory year in the military. It wasn't until 1939 when the Soviet Union invaded his country, Häyhä decided not to back down. Instead, he went into the trees with a rifle, in -20 degree weather, and shot Russians. The Russians tried to respond by sending out teams to specifically kill Häyhä, and he would kill every last one. In 1940, Häyhä was finally stopped when he was shot in the face, remaining unconscious for a week, waking up the day the war ended.

Highlights:

"Using a modified Mosin–Nagant in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills – 505 – in any major war.

During the Winter War (1939–1940) between Finland and the Soviet Union, Häyhä served as a sniper for the Finnish Army against the Red Army in the 6th Company of JR 34 during the Battle of Kollaa. In temperatures between −40 °C (−40 °F) and −20 °C (−4 °F), dressed completely in white camouflage, Häyhä was credited with 505 confirmed kills of Soviet soldiers. A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was made for the Finnish snipers. Remarkably, all of Häyhä's kills were accomplished in fewer than 100 days – in other words, approximately five kills per day – at a time of year with very few hours of daylight."

"The Soviet's efforts to kill Häyhä included counter-snipers and artillery strikes, but on March 6, 1940 Häyhä was shot in his lower left jaw by a Russian soldier. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said "half his cheek was missing", but he did not die, regaining consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, Häyhä was promoted from Alikersantti (Corporal) to Vänrikki (Second Lieutenant) by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. No one else has gained rank so quickly in Finland's military history."

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Mary of Exeter

Born: Around 1940
Birthplace: (Likely) England
Occupation: Carrier Pigeon
Dead Or Alive: Died 1950

Yes, you're reading about a bird. And for a good reason: Mary of Exeter was a carrier pigeon that flew military missions during WWII for the National Pigeon Service. She was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 for her endurance during the war, becoming injured on multiple occasions, surviving German hawk attacks and bombings.

Highlights:

"She served with the National Pigeon Service between 1940 and 1945 carrying top secret messages. Mary made four trips from France to England.

Mary completed many missions, including three in which she was wounded by enemy attacks, requiring a total of 22 stitches. In addition, she survived a Luftwaffe bomber attack on her Exeter pigeon loft."

Attacks Survived:

"On one occasion she was attacked by German-kept hawks stationed in Pas-de-Calais returning home with wounds to her neck and right breast. She recovered sufficiently and was put back in service two months later.

On another occasion, Mary returned with the tip of one wing shot off and three pellets were removed from her body. She recovered, passed flight tests, was returned to service despite the shortened wing.

During her final trip her neck muscles were damaged by shrapnel. Her owner made her a leather collar to hold her head up, and took her out of service.

Mary's loft, located at the Exeter home of a shoemaker named Charlie Brewer who had become a loft keeper and intelligence agent during the war, was damaged during the Luftwaffe's 1942 raids on Exeter, killing many of the pigeons housed there. Mary, however, survived."

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Hans-Ulrich Rudel

Born: July 2, 1916
Birthplace: Konradswaldau, Germany
Occupation: Nazi Stuka Dive-Bomber Pilot during World War II
Nickname: Eagle of the Eastern Front
Dead Or Alive: Died December 18, 1982, age 66

"Lost are only those who abandon themselves."

Okay, so this guy was a Nazi. I don't support what his beliefs were (obviously), but, as it is, not every tough dude fights on the side of the good guys. Rudel became the most highly decorated Combat Aviator in history. He was shot down more than 30 times by enemy forces, and was in six rescue missions to save members of his squadron. He was awarded the highest honor in Germany, the Golden Oak Wreaths with Swords and Diamonds top the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

Highlights:

"Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed; including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery pieces, 70 landing craft, nine aircraft, 4 armored trains, several bridges, a destroyer, two cruisers, and the Soviet battleship Marat."

"By March 1944, he was already Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III./StG 2 (appointed on 19 July 1943) and had reached 1,800 operations. At that time he claimed 202 tanks destroyed."

"Hitler thought Rudel was too valuable to be engaged in combat. Hitler, through Göring, gave the order to ground Rudel permanently. Rudel refused to accept this command and Hitler had no choice but to reluctantly rescind his order."

"On 13 March 1944 Rudel may have been involved in aerial combat with the Hero of the Soviet Union Lev Shestakov. Rudel flew into a valley to evade him, at times flying only 10 feet above the ground, constantly performing brutal evasive maneuvres. Prior to this engagement, his rear gunner's machine guns had been jammed. Rudel was flying so low that he had to evade trees and it was here that his rear gunner realized that Shestakov had crashed. Shestakov failed to return from this mission and was posted as missing in action. From Rudel's memoirs:

Was he shot down by Gadermann [Rudel's rear gunner], or did he go down because of the backwash from my engine during these tight turns? It doesn't matter. My headphones suddenly exploded in confused screams from the Russian radio; the Russians have observed what happened and something special seems to have happened... From the Russian radio-messages, we discover that this was a very famous Soviet fighter pilot, more than once appointed as Hero of the Soviet Union. I should give him credit: he was a good pilot.

"In November 1944, he was wounded in the thigh and flew subsequent missions with his leg in a plaster cast."

On 8 February 1945, a 40 mm shell hit his aircraft. He was badly wounded in the right foot and crash landed inside German lines. His life was saved by his observer Ernst Gadermann who stemmed the bleeding, but Rudel's leg was amputated below the knee. He returned to operations on 25 March 1945, claiming 26 more tanks destroyed before the end of the war."

"He was never shot down by another pilot, only by anti-aircraft artillery. He was shot down or forced to land 32 times, several times behind enemy lines."

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Charles Upham

Born: September 21, 1908
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation: New Zealand Soldier, Farmer
Dead Or Alive: Died November 22, 1994, age 86

Charles Upham was the only man to be awarded two Victoria Crosses during World War II, and was known for his quick thinking. The man is remembered for destroying enemy posts, rescuing a wounded man while under fire, going deep behind enemy lines and killing 22 Germans to rescue a platoon—all after being hit with the blast of a mortar shell which left him with a bullet in his foot and shrapnel in his shoulder.

Highlights:

"Captain C. H. Upham, V.C., was commanding a Company of New Zealand troops in the Western Desert during the operations which culminated in the attack on El Ruweisat Ridge on the night of 14th-15th July, 1942. In spite of being twice wounded, once when crossing open ground swept by enemy fire to inspect his forward sections guarding our mine-fields and again when he completely destroyed an entire truck load of German soldiers with hand grenades, Captain Upham insisted on remaining with his men to take part in the final assault.

During the opening stages of the attack on the ridge Captain Upham's Company formed part of the reserve battalion, but, when communications with the forward troops broke down and he was instructed to send up an officer to report on the progress of the attack, he went out himself armed with a Spandau gun and, after several sharp encounters with enemy machine gun posts, succeeded in bringing back the required information.

Just before dawn the reserve battalion was ordered forward, but, when it had almost reached its objective, very heavy fire was encountered from a strongly defended enemy locality, consisting of four machine gun posts and a number of tanks.

Captain Upham, without hesitation, at once led his Company in a determined attack on the two nearest strongpoints on the left flank of the sector. His voice could be heard above the din of battle cheering on his men and, in spite of the fierce resistance of the enemy and the heavy casualties on both sides, the objective was captured.

Captain Upham, during the engagement, himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with grenades and although he was shot through the elbow by a machine gun bullet and had his arm broken, he went on again to a forward position and brought back some of his men who had become isolated. He continued to dominate the situation until his men had beaten off a violent enemy counter-attack and consolidated the vital position which they had won under his inspiring leadership.

Exhausted by pain from his wound and weak from loss of blood Captain Upham was then removed to the Regimental Aid Post but immediately his wound had been dressed he returned to his men, remaining with them all day long under heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire, until he was again severely wounded and being now unable to move fell into the hands of the enemy when, his gallant Company having been reduced to only six survivors, his position was finally overrun by superior enemy forces, in spite of the outstanding gallantry and magnificent leadership shown by Captain Upham."

"The Victoria Cross was conferred on Captain Upham for conspicuous bravery during the operations in Crete in May, 1941, and the award was announced in the London Gazette dated 14th October, 1941."

"Having been taken prisoner of war (POW), he was sent to an Italian hospital to recuperate but attempted to escape numerous times before being branded "dangerous" by the Germans.

One attempt to escape occurred when a group of POWs were being transported in open trucks through Italy. Upham jumped from the truck at a bend and managed to get 400 yards (370 m) away before being recaptured. He had broken an ankle in jumping from the moving truck.

Another attempt occurred when he was being moved between prison camps on a civilian train while guarded by two Germans. Upham was only allowed to visit the toilet when the train was travelling at high speed, to prevent him from jumping through a window. Nevertheless, Upham prised open the toilet window and jumped onto the tracks, knocking himself unconscious.

On a third occasion, he tried to escape a camp by climbing its fences in broad daylight. He became entangled in barbed wire when he fell down between the two fences. When a prison guard pointed a pistol at his head and threatened to shoot, Upham calmly ignored him and lit a cigarette. This scene was photographed by the Germans as "evidence" and later reprinted in his biography (Mark of the Lion, by Kenneth Sandford)."

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Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Born: March 7, 1944
Birthplace: Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Occupation: British Army Officer, Explorer and Adventurer
Dead Or Alive: Alive, age 69

Ran Fiennes is known as the world's greatest living explorer by the Guinness Book of World Records. He's the third cousin of actor Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), and has written numerous books about his time in the army and his expeditions. He's the first person to visit both the North and South Poles while using surface means, and is the first person to completely cross Antarctica on foot. Once you're done wiping the tears from your eyes upon realizing you've never even left your state, here are some of the things Fiennes' has faced in the name of adventure.

Highlights:

"In 1992 Fiennes led an expedition that discovered what may be an outpost of the lost city of Iram in Oman. The following year he joined nutrition specialist Dr Mike Stroud to become the first to cross the Antarctic continent unsupported; they took 93 days."

"In 2000 he attempted to walk solo and unsupported to the North Pole. The expedition failed when his sleds fell through weak ice and Fiennes was forced to pull them out by hand. He sustained severe frostbite to the tips of all the fingers on his left hand, forcing him to abandon the attempt. On returning home, his surgeon insisted the necrotic fingertips be retained for several months before amputation, to allow regrowth of the remaining healthy tissue. Impatient at the pain the dying fingertips caused, Fiennes cut them off himself with a fretsaw, just above where the blood and the soreness were."

"On 20 May 2009, Fiennes successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the oldest British person to achieve this. A BBC news report stated that Fiennes was the first person to ever have climbed Everest and crossed both polar ice-caps. Of the other handful of adventurers who had visited both poles, only four had successfully crossed both polar icecaps: Norwegian Børge Ousland, Belgian Alain Hubert and Fiennes. Fiennes, in successfully reaching the summit of Everest in 2009, therefore definitely became the first person ever to achieve all three goals. Ousland wrote to congratulate him. Fiennes continues to compete in UK-based endurance events and has seen recent success in the veteran categories of some Mountain Marathon races. His training nowadays consists of regular two-hour runs around Exmoor."

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Corporal Léo Major

Born: January 23, 1921
Birthplace: New Bedford, Massachusetts
Occupation: French Canadian Soldier
Dead Or Alive: Died October 12, 2008, age 87

The one-man army. Léo Major had no fucks to give, and was armed and capable of pulling through the toughest missions of World War II. On April 13, 1945, he single-handedly liberated the Dutch city of Zwolle from the Germans, after his friend and partner, Willie Arseneault, was killed. Major became enraged, and continued the mission alone, which ended up earning him his first Distinguished Conduct Medal. He also fought in the Korean War, where he earned his second DCM.

Highlights:

"Around midnight Arseneault was killed by German fire after accidentally giving away the team's position. Enraged, Major killed two of the Germans, but the rest of the group fled in a vehicle. He decided to continue his mission alone. He entered Zwolle near Sassenport and came upon a staff car. He ambushed and captured the German driver, and then led him to a bar where an officer was taking a drink. Inside he found that they could both speak French (the officer was from Alsace), and Major told him that at 6:00 am Canadian artillery would begin firing at the city, causing numerous casualties among both the German troops and the civilians. As a sign of good faith, he gave the German his gun back.

Major then proceeded to run throughout the city firing his machine gun, throwing grenades and making so much noise that he fooled the Germans into thinking that the Canadian Army was storming the city in earnest. As he was doing this, he would attack and capture German troops. About 10 times during the night he captured groups of 8 to 10 German soldiers, escorted them out of the city and gave them to the French-Canadian troops that were waiting in the vicinity. After transferring his prisoners to the troops, he would return to Zwolle to continue his assault. However, four times during the night he had to force his way into civilian's houses to get some rest. He eventually located the Gestapo HQ and set the building on fire. Later stumbling upon the SS HQ, he got into a quick but deadly fight with eight ranking Nazi officers: four were killed, and the other half fled. He noticed that two of the SS he just killed were disguised as resistance members. The Zwolle resistance had been (or were going to be) infiltrated by the Nazis."

"During a reconnaissance mission on D-Day, Major captured a German armoured vehicle (a Hanomag) by himself. The vehicle contained German communication equipment and secret German Army codes.

Days later, during his first encounter with an SS patrol, he killed four soldiers; however, one of them managed to ignite a phosphorus grenade. After the resulting explosion, Major lost one eye. He refused to be evacuated.

He continued his service as a scout and a sniper by insisting that he needed only one eye to sight his weapon. According to him, he 'looked like a pirate.'"

'Major single-handedly captured 93 German soldiers during The Battle of the Scheldt in Zeeland in the southern Netherlands. During a reconnaissance, whilst alone, he spotted two German soldiers walking along a dike. As it was raining and cold, Major said to himself, "I am frozen and wet because of you so you will pay." He captured the first German and attempted to use him as bait so he could capture the other. The second attempted to use his gun, but Major quickly killed him. He went on to capture their commanding officer and forced him to surrender. The German garrison surrendered themselves after three more were shot dead by Major. In a nearby village, SS troops who witnessed German soldiers being escorted by a Canadian soldier shot at their own soldiers, injuring a few and killing seven. Major disregarded the enemy fire and kept escorting his prisoners to the Canadian front line. Major then ordered a passing Canadian tank to fire on the SS troops. He marched back to camp with nearly a hundred prisoners. Thus, he was chosen to receive a DCM. He declined the invitation to be decorated, however, because according to him General Montgomery (who was giving the award) was "incompetent" and in no position to be giving out medals."

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Adrian Carton de Wiart

Born: May 5, 1880
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Occupation: Lieutenant-General in the British Army
Dead Or Alive: June 5, 1963, age 83

"Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose."

The master of badassery, Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart probably has the best Wikipedia page of any person dead or alive. The man had a thirst for battle, and wasn't afraid to talk shit to one of the world's most frightening leaders. After numerous injuries that left him disfigured, he was pleased with his experiences during both World Wars. After his first wife died, he married a woman who was about 20 years younger than him, and was one of the most famous women in the world at the time. Live life to the fullest.

Highlights:

"Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB,CMG, DSO (5 May 1880 - 5 June 1963), was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He fought in the Boer War, World War I, and World War II, was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip and ear, survived a plane crash, tunneled out of a POW camp, and bit off his own fingers when a doctor wouldn't amputate them. He later said 'frankly I had enjoyed the war.'"

"The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography described him thus: 'With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Carton de Wiart looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend.'"

"In February 1915, he embarked on a steamer for France. Carton de Wiart took part in the fighting on the Western Front, commanding successively three infantry battalions and a brigade. He was wounded seven more times in the war, losing his left hand in 1915 and pulling off his fingers when a doctor declined to remove them. He was shot through the skull and ankle at the Battle of the Somme, through the hip at the Battle of Passchendaele, through the leg at Cambrai, and through the ear at Arras."

"In an attack upon an enemy fort at Shimber Berris, Carton de Wiart was shot twice in the face, losing his eye and also a portion of his ear. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in May 1915"

"Carton de Wiart's serious wound in the Boer War instilled in him a strong desire for physical fitness and he ran, jogged, walked, and played sports on a regular basis. In male company he was 'a delightful character and must hold the world record for bad language.'"

"Once Carton de Wiart evaded capture for eight days disguised as an Italian peasant (which is surprising considering that he was in northern Italy, couldn't speak Italian, and was 61 years old, with an eye patch, one empty sleeve and multiple injuries and scars). Ironically, Carton de Wiart had been approved for repatriation due to his disablement, but notification arrived after his escape. As the repatriation would have required that he promise not to take any further part in the war, it is probable that he would have declined anyway."

"He met Mao Zedong at dinner and had a memorable exchange with him, interrupting his propaganda speech to criticise him for holding back from fighting the Japanese for domestic political reasons. Mao was briefly stunned, and then laughed."

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