During a hot bombardment in the Crimea, a British sergeant left the trenches to bring in a horse that was straying about amidst the flying shot and shell. He managed to lead the animal back to a safe place, but as he turned to re-enter the trenches he was badly hit in the leg.
The surgeon arrived soon afterwards, and at once amputated the limb. This was before the days of chloroform, and the sergeant remained perfectly conscious during the operation. He bore the awful agony without a tremor.
When the surgeon was about to leave with the amputated leg, the sergeant raised himself with an effort, and said, "Beg pardon, sir, but I'd be obliged if you'd give me the sock off that leg. It will be as good as* a pair to me now."
克里米亞戰爭一場猛烈砲轟之中，英軍一名中士走出戰壕，把一匹無主戰馬牽離彈雨槍林，帶到安全地方。但是，他走回戰壕時，一條腿卻遭重創。
軍醫不久就到來，隨即給他切掉那條腿。當時還未有哥羅仿，動手術時，那中士完全清醒。他忍着劇痛，更無一下顫抖。
軍醫拿着切下來的腿，準備離去時，那中士勉力撐起身子，說道：「醫生，對不起，請把那條腿的襪子脫下來給我，好嗎？一隻襪子，對我來說，以後就等於以前的一雙。」
*As good as是「（幾乎）等於」的意思，例如：When I found him, he was as good as dead（我找到他時，他幾乎已和死人無別）。