Harsh reality of Victorian war vet's life

THE brutal truth of life as a disabled war veteran in Victorian Britain have been revealed in an insightful lost memoir.

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

A historian’s discovery of the autobiography of soldier Shadrack Byfield has shed new light on his life after returning from the War of 1812 in North America minus an arm.

The story of Byfield, who buried his own amputated left arm and went on to design a custom prosthesis, has featured in several documentaries.