World War 1 Mug

Contributed by Royal Ulster Rifles Museum Belfast

This simple mug has a fascinating story to tell. It belonged to a soldier serving in the trenches in France and Belgium during the First World War. It's such a simple object and with its chipped edges it sums up perfectly the lives that the men on the frontline lived during WW1, dealing with terrible conditions while trying to feed themselves and stay warm. But if you peer inside the mug you will discover there is a bullet wedged at the bottom. The bullet was fired by the enemy during fighting. The soldier who owned the mug used his drinking vessel to shield himself and it was this simple metal mug that saved his life. The mug was kept by the soldier and then his family as a treasured memento and was recently given to the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum.

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