1205727 Pte. Alfred Skelhorn British Army 10th Btn. Cheshire Regiment from:Lymm Alfred was my grandfather, he died aged 96 in 1988. During the Great War he spent two periods in hospital, once with trench fever, constipation, indigestion and loss of teeth, probably as a result of the poor conditions and rations. He had been around Ypres for six months prior to this and had gone from a fit 24 yr old, to spending nearly 70 days in hospital. His medical record on discharge states, 'can walk fairly well'. He was very badly wounded on the 1st of August 1917, with a gunshot wound to right foot, leading to amputation of one toe, and a shrapnel ball in chest with damage to a shoulder blade, fractured rib (which was removed). The shrapnel ball was too close to his heart to be removed,it stayed in him the rest of his life, it moved with every pulse! I have his chest X-ray, he was assessed as 30 % disabled. Alfred gave up smoking in his 70's, my hero!
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