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![Artificial limb made for a British Merchant Seaman by the](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/403/17/small_thumbnail_smg00159311.jpg)
![Artificial limb made for a British Merchant Seaman by the](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/897/small_thumbnail_1999_0431__0002_.jpg)
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Artificial limb made for a British Merchant Seaman by the ship's carpenter of a German raider after his ship was sunk in the Red Sea. Worn until repatriation to England. Made during 1914-18 War.
Made from heavy oak wood and weighing over 4 kg, this prosthetic leg was made for a British merchant seaman whose ship had been sunk in the Red Sea – located between Sudan and Saudi Arabia – during the First World War.
When the seaman was captured by a German vessel, the ship’s carpenter made this leg for him. The seaman wore the leg until he returned home after the First World War. The leg is jointed, with toes, ankle and knee all able to bend.
Details
- Category:
- Orthopaedics
- Object Number:
- 1999-431
- Materials:
- oak (wood), iron, bitumen, cotton (fibre) and rubber
- Measurements:
-
overall: 180 mm x 900 mm x 270 mm, 4.42kg
- type:
- artificial leg
- credit:
- Richmond Twickenham and Roehampton Healthcare NHS Trust