THE LONE SURVIVOR

The name William Brydon is unfamiliar to most people today.
But this young man - a Victorian surgeon - was one of the greatest survivors in history.

He served in the First Afghan War of 1842, which was a true military catastrophe for the British Army.

Last stand of the British army at Gandamak

The British garrison in Kabul had suffered many setbacks and was in a desperate plight: it needed to reach the back-up garrison in Jalabad, 90 miles away. But herein lay a major problem. The 4,500 Kabul-based soldiers and 12,000 civilians had to traverse numerous passes and defiles. Worse still, it was mid-winter and temperatures were already well below freezing.


Over the next seven days, the rag-bag convoy of soldiers and civilians was constantly attacked by Afghan tribesmen. By the time they reached the halfway town of Gandamak, it was snowing heavily and the food had run out.

It was now that the Afghans struck in force. Soldiers were massacred, captured or murdered in cold blood. The civilians were likewise cut to pieces - even the children.

William Brydon rides into Jalalabad, minus part of his skull

The British garrison troops in Jalalabad grew increasingly nervous for their comrades as day after day passed without news. They peered anxiously over the ramparts and - one morning - were surprised to see  a lone figure in a pitiful state ride up to the main gate.

It was Dr William Brydon, minus a part of his skull (cut off by an Afghan scimitar). He had survived because he had had a copy of Blackwoods magazine stuffed into his hat, which saved the rest of his skull.

His survival was later celebrated in a famous picture by Elizabeth Butler.

It later transpired that 50 others had survived the retreat and were eventually released from captivity.

Nonetheless, William Brydon's survival was memorable and he was feted as a hero in Britain - not the first time that popular mythology turned catastrophic defeat into some sort of moral victory.