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The notebook that stopped a bullet

''The notebook is in a terrible state with a large bullet hole through the middle, and signs of burning from the heat of the bullet"

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(East Bristol Auctions via SWNS)

By Ollie Buckley via SWNS

A notebook that saved a soldier's life when a bullet struck it in his pocket has been sold at auction.

Lucky George Dowsell had the miracle escape while serving during the Third Angle-Burmese war of 1891.

George from Olveston near Bristol, England was fighting in the Southeast Asian country of Burma (now named Myanmar) when the stray bullet struck him in the chest.

Remarkably, his notebook absorbed the impact and he survived - and then wrote about his escape in the same book.

The notebook that saved a soldier's life. (East Bristol Auctions via SWNS)

He wrote: ''Speak not this book for fear of shame, for here you will see the owner's name.

''No. 1787 Pte George Dowsell 2nd Devon Regiment. Done by a bullet when in my pocket at Kyain Kwile Loung on Sunday the 22nd of February, 1891.''

The notebook was kept by Dowsell and later passed down through the family.

The notebook is in "a terrible state" after taking a bullet in the Third Angle-Burmese war of 1891. (East Bristol Auctions via SWNS)

It has now been sold for £260 ($358 USD) courtesy of East Bristol Auctions in the UK.

Auctioneer Andrew Stowe from East Bristol Auctions said: ''This notebook is very special.

''Stories of being saved by items stuffed in pockets are surprisingly common throughout history – but very rarely are the actual items still preserved.

''The notebook is in a terrible state with a large bullet hole through the middle, and signs of burning from the heat of the bullet.

''Dowsell was very lucky – the bullet stops just short of the cardboard cover on the rear. If the notebook had been a millimeter thinner, he may not have lived.''

The notebook featured in East Bristol Auctions’ specialist sale today on September 17, 2021.

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