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This article should not be confused with
Self-Injury, which can include this general term but self-inflicted wound is more specific to self wounds inflicted during a war
A self-inflicted wound (SIW), was the act of harming oneself during military combat. It is considered to be a highly serious wartime military offense. The most common type of wounds usually involved a rifle shot to the hand or foot, which made the soldier unable to continue on serving in combat. It was believed that most self-inflicted wounds were unnoticed, though consequences were severe if caught. In the British army during World War I, the penalty for self-inflicted wound was capital punishment, which at that time was death by firing squad. In the British Army, some 3,894 men were found guilty, though none were executed but instead were sent to prison for lengthy periods.[1][2] There have been many reports of SIW during World War I, placing certain soldiers under suspicion for some injuries which could have been genuine accidents.[2]
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