London, Aug 3 (IANS) A British soldier was saved by his rosary beads in Afghanistan when he stooped to pick them up and saw that he was next to a landmine. It was strikingly similar to his great grandfather’s experience who escaped a blast when he picked up his fallen rosary beads.

Glenn Hockton, 19, was on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, when bent down to pick up his prayer beads after they fell off, Daily Express reported Tuesday.

It was then that he realised that he was standing close to a mine.

“As he (Glenn) bent down to pick up his rosary to see if it was broken, he ­realised he was near a landmine.

“He had to stand there for 45 terrifying minutes before his colleagues managed to get him,” Glenn’s mother Sheri Jones was quoted as saying.

Nearly 65 years back, Glenn’s great-grandfather’s life was saved during the World War II, thanks to rosary beads. He survived a blast, which killed six of his platoon.

Joseph “Sunny” Truman was with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

“Grandad (Truman) was walking across a field with half a dozen of his platoon. He bent down to pick something up and was the only one to survive a sudden bomb blast. He had picked up a rosary,” said Truman’s grand-daughter Sheri.

She said she was shocked when Glenn told her about the ­coincidence.