When we talk about heroes, de Wiart is up there with the best of them, as this article from the blog
"Standing Well Back" illustrates. It is reprinted with thanks to "Standing Well Back".
"A divergent aside from the grim world of terrorism. I came
across a fascinating historical eccentric British military figure. He
went by the name of Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC,
KBE, CB, CMG, DSO. Very non-PC. I'm digging into his life story, and
honestly you couldn't make it up. Here's some examples of his
exploits:
- He enlisted in the Army as a trooper in the Boer War, and was invalided home
- He fought in British Somaliland in 1914 against the Mad Mullah
- He was wounded 11 times in battle. He was shot through the lung (in
South Africa), in the eye, and ear and arm in British Somaliland, lost
his left hand in 1915, biting off his fingers when a doctor declined to
remove them, shot through the skull and ankle at the Somme through the
hip at Passchendale through the leg at Cambrai and through the ear at
Arras.
- In 1914 De Wiart was taken back to Britain where he had what was
left of his left eye removed. By this point it was early 1915 and World
War 1 was in full swing and De Wiart was informed that he could only go
if he wore a glass eye (they didn't want the Germans to think they
forced to use one eyed officers), De Wiart agreed and as he left the
Medical Board he took out his eye and threw it away.
He won the VC and commanded three battalions and a brigade on the Western front
- He was part of the British military mission to Poland after the war
and retired and settled there in the 1920's, and illegally was gun
running for the Poles with the aid of a stolen train (allegedly). He was
involved in a number of escapades which included shooting marauding
Russian cavalry with his pistol from the footplate of a train. He then
fell off the train (but jumped back on).
- On escaping from Poland in 1939 he crossed into Romania with this
terrific quote. When he got to the border the first sentry on the other
side stood up and de Wiart addressed him, first in English and then in
French. He said there were only three sorts of Romanians: they're either
pimps, pederasts or violinists, and bloody few are violinists.....
Fortunately the Romanian sentry, thinking this was mutual regard,
saluted and they passed through.
- He commanded a pretty disastrous Norwegian campaign at the start of the German invasion there.
- He was appointed head of the British military mission to Yugoslavia
as the Nazis were poised to invade, but en route his transport aircraft
crashed over the Med and he became a POW after swimming to shore.
Despite his age and disability he set about working on an escape tunnel
for seven months and tried to escape 5 times. Once de Wiart evaded
capture for eight days disguised as an Italian peasant, no mean feat
considering that he was in northern Italy, did not speak Italian, and
was 61 years old, with an eye patch, one empty sleeve and multiple
injuries. Ironically, 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.
- By August 1943 he was back in England (long story!) and was then
sent to China as Churchill's personal representative. There's a whole
book worth of anecdotes there...
- A champagne, claret and port man, he detested whisky, liked popular music hall tunes and had no ear for classical music.
- He married a countess, had two daughters but omitted mention of any
of them (and his VC) in his autobiography. His second wife was 25 years
younger then him."
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