List of notable war amputees

This is a list of soldiers who have had their limbs amputated.

1700-1799

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb Loss Date of injury Description
Benedict Arnold (1741–1801) Major General United States/ British Empire American Revolutionary War Left leg October 7, 1777 While serving in the Continental Army, Benedict Arnold was severely wounded during the late stage of the Battles of Saratoga on October 7, 1777, he had been shot in the leg, and had a horse fall on top of it which resulted in it getting amputated in May 1778.[1][2]
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758–1805) Vice-admiral of the White British Empire First Anglo-Maratha War, American Revolutionary War, War of the First Coalition (WIA), War of the Second Coalition (WIA) and War of the Third Coalition Right arm July 25, 1797 During the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on July 25, 1797, Nelson was on a boat and was hit in the arm by grapeshot. He had his arm amputated and was hailed as a hero when he returned to England.[3][4][5]

1800-1899

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb Loss Date of injury Description
Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (1768–1854 Field Marshal British Empire French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars (WIA) Right leg June 16, 1815 Towards the end of the Battle of Waterloo, Henry Paget was shot in the right leg by one of Napoleon's cannons.[6][7]
James Edward Hanger (1843–1919) Private Confederate States of America American Civil War Left leg June 3, 1861 After being a soldier for only two days, Hanger was shot in the leg by a Union cannonball and the leg was amputated, making him the first amputee of the war. Following the war, Hanger built his own wooden prosthetic leg and established the Hanger, Inc.[8]
John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) Major United States American Civil War Right hand April 6–7, 1862 Shortly after his marriage, Powell took part at the Battle of Shiloh and was struck in the right arm by a Minié ball.[9] After the war, he became an acclaimed explorer and geologist.
William Francis Bartlett (1840–1876) Brigadier General United States American Civil War Left leg April 24, 1862 During the Siege of Yorktown, on April 24, 1862, Bartlett (who was a captain at the time) was shot in the left knee by Confederate pickets. The wound required the amputation of his leg and Bartlett continued to fight even after his amputation.[10][11]
Francis T. Nicholls (1834–1912) Brigadier General Confederate States of America American Civil War Left arm May 25, 1862 During the Valley Campaign, General Nicholls was shot in the left arm and left to recover in Winchester, Virginia.[12]
Alfred A. Stratton (1844–1874) Sergeant United States American Civil War Arms June 18, 1864 The 20-year-old blacksmith lost both his arms during the Siege of Petersburg when his arms were struck with a Confederate cannonball and amputated by Mr. A. S. Coe.[13][14]
Stephen Joseph McGroarty (1830–1870) Colonel United States American Civil War Left arm July 20, 1864 At the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20, 1864, McGroarty left arm was shattered at the elbow by a minié ball in the beginning of the engagement, yet he remained with his men through the fight.[15]

1914-1918

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb Loss Date of injury Description
Paul Wittgenstein (1887–1961) Lieutenant Austria-Hungary World War I Right arm 23 August – 11 September 1914 During the Battle of Galicia, Wittgenstein was shot in the elbow by Russian forces and his arm was amputated. Following the war, he became a famous left-handed pianist.[16][17]
Joseph O'Sullivan (1897–1922) lance corporal British Empire World War I Right leg July 31 – November 10, 1917 The Irish Republican Army volunteer fought in World War I and lost his right leg at the Battle of Passchendaele.[18]
Laurence Stallings (1894–1968) Captain United States World War I Right leg June 25, 1918 During the Battle of Belleau Wood, Stallings severely wounded his leg after he charged a German machine gun nest. He refused to have the leg amputated and it was later amputated in 1922 after he damaged it falling on ice.[19][20]

1939-1945

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb Loss Date of injury Description
Aleksey Maresyev (1916–2001) Colonel Soviet Union World War II Legs April 23, 1942 On 5 April 1942 his Yakovlev Yak-1 was shot down near Staraya Russa, after which he was almost captured. Despite being badly injured, he managed to return to the Soviet-controlled territory, braving blizzards and German patrol units. During his 18-day-long journey his injuries deteriorated so badly that both of his legs had to be amputated above the knee. Before the surgery he was lying on a stretcher with a sheet over his face and considered to be a hopeless case due to the extent of his injuries in addition to suffering from gangrene and blood poisoning. One doctor offered to operate on him and thereby saved him, but told him he would not lose his legs.[21][22]

1946-1999

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb Loss Date of injury Description
Max Cleland (1942–2021) Captain United States Vietnam War Both legs and right forearm April 8, 1968 On April 8, with a month left in his tour, Cleland was ordered to set up a radio relay station on a nearby hill. A helicopter flew him and two soldiers to the treeless top of Hill 471, east of Khe Sanh. When the helicopter landed, Cleland jumped out, followed by the two soldiers. They ducked because of the rotor wash and turned to watch the liftoff. Cleland reached down to pick up a grenade he believed had dropped off his flak jacket. It then exploded, the blast slamming him backward, shredding both his legs and his right arm.

2000-Present

Image Name Lifespan Rank Country War(s) Limb part Date of injury Description
Eric Alva (b. 1970) Staff Sergeant United States Iraq War Right leg March 21, 2003 On the first day of the Iraq War, March 21, 2003, United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Eric Alva stepped on a landmine and lost his right leg.[23]
Tammy Duckworth (b. 1968) Lieutenant colonel United States Iraq War Legs November 12, 2004 On November 12, 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. She was the first American female double amputee from the Iraq War.[24][25]
Gregory D. Gadson (b. 1966) Colonel United States Gulf War, Kosovo War, Iraq War (WIA) and War in Afghanistan Legs May 7, 2007 On the night of May 7, 2007, while returning from a memorial service for two soldiers from his brigade, he lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm to a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He became one of the first military personnel to use a next-generation powered prosthetic knee with technology to make it possible for amputees to walk with confidence and with a more natural gait.[26]
Andy Allen (b. 1988) Ranger Northern Ireland War in Afghanistan Legs 2008 Allen was a Ranger in the Royal Irish Regiment, he was hit with an IED in Helmand.[27] Following the war, he became the Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Communities.
Bob Andrzejczak (b. 1986) Sergeant United States Iraq War Left leg 2009 Andrzejczak had served in the Iraq War as a sergeant in the Army's 25th Infantry Division until his discharge following an injury from a grenade explosion which led to the amputation of his left leg in 2009. As a result, he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star; his recovery was featured on a 2009 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.[28]
Dan Crenshaw (b.1984) Lieutenant commander United States War in Afghanistan Right eye 2012 The Scottish-American politician and Navy SEAL officer lost his eye to an IED in Helmand, Afghanistan. The explosion destroyed his right eye and damaged his left eye which was repaired with surgery. Crenshaw was awarded with the Purple Heart for his service.

References

  1. ^ Randall (1990), pp. 350–368
  2. ^ Palmer (2006), p. 256
  3. ^ Hibbert, Christopher (1994). Nelson. A Personal History. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-201-40800-3, p. 121.
  4. ^ Bradford, Ernle (2005). Nelson: The Essential Hero. Wordsworth Military Library. ISBN 978-1-84022-202-9, p. 162
  5. ^ "Nelson's Health | Admiral Nelson: the definitive History". www.aboutnelson.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  6. ^ BBC History Magazine, vol. 3, no. 6, June 2002
  7. ^ Annand, A. McK. (1969). "Colonel Sir Horace Seymour, K.c.h., M.p. (1791-1851)". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 47 (190): 86–88. ISSN 0037-9700.
  8. ^ Robert J. Driver, Virginia Regimental History Series, 14th Virginia Cavalry, published 1988 by E. E. Howard Inc., Pge 131.
  9. ^ "Major John Wesley Powell: 1834–1902". Utah Geological Survey. 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  10. ^ Heidler, 185.
  11. ^ Wert, 62.
  12. ^ Some Notes on the Military Career of Francis T. Nicholls, pg. 305-307
  13. ^ "[Article]". The New York herald. 1865-10-04. p. 1. ISSN 2474-3224. OCLC 9467138. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  14. ^ "[Article]". National Republican. 1874-06-15. p. 1. ISSN 2151-4437. OCLC 13891753. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  15. ^ Wilson & Fiske 1900
  16. ^ "Chicago Tribune: Rediscovered score pianist's last legacy". www.chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  17. ^ Hunt, Rebecca (2025-08-13). "Paul Wittgenstein and Music for Piano One Hand". Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  18. ^ James Mackay. Michael Collins: A Life, pg. 261.
  19. ^ Blankenship, Janie. "Vets of WWI Through Vietnam Became Famous in the Literary World", VFW Magazine (April 2015), pp. 44–45.
  20. ^ Brittain, Joan T. (1975). Laurence Stallings. Boston: Twayne Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8057-0686-4.
  21. ^ www.aif.ru (2011-05-18). "«Сел и полетел!» 20 мая легендарному лётчику Алексею Маресьеву исполнилось бы 95". aif.by. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  22. ^ "Маресьев Алексей Петрович". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  23. ^ "Defending His Country, but Not Its 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy". 2007-02-28. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  24. ^ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-at-war-unseen_n_1498291
  25. ^ Leo Shane III (2005-06-14). "'The pedals were gone, and so were my legs'". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  26. ^ https://www.dla.mil/About-DLA/News/News-Article-View/Article/4340982/former-garrison-commander-shares-story-of-resilience/
  27. ^ Young, David (2015-09-15). "Afghanistan veteran Andy Allen co-opted into the UUP's seat in East Belfast". Belfast Live. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  28. ^ NJ.com, Don E. Woods | For (2013-03-19). "Robert Andrzejczak will take oath to replace Matt Milam in First District". nj. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
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