The book is a bible. It belonged to Corporal Frank Richards of the Liverpool Rifles. You can see him in the photograph.The book is a bible. It belonged to Corporal Frank Richards of the Liverpool Rifles. You can see him in the photograph.
Corporal Richards was shot while in action during the First World War I (40% of wounds to British soldiers were from rifle and machine gun bullets). The bible saved his life by deflecting a bullet away from his heart and he escaped with just bruised ribs.
We don't know where Corporal Richards was when he was shot but we do know that he was involved in the surprise attack at Cambrai in Northern France. The battle saw British soldiers breaking through the Hindenburg Line - three lines of trenches defended by soldiers in underground concrete forts. The British forces had been trying to break through these defences for months and many men had died in the process. However, the gains were soon lost as the German forces counter-attacked. This battle was important as it saw the successful introduction of large-scale tank warfare and the decline of cavalry as a major part of war.
The battle began on 21st November 1917 with Corporal Richards reported missing on 30th November. He was apparently captured and held as a prisoner of war in Munster, Northern Germany. He was later released.
Frank Richards died in 1966 aged 74. This bible and photograph were donated to National Museums Liverpool by his wife.