*in regards to *in WW2 and/or before" I mean using a gun
I would imagine that most soldiers who had been a casualty and had a limb amputated would be removed from front line duty for the rest of the duration of the war. However, as the war dragged on and more scrapping of barrels occurred for recruitment did amputee soldiers serve the front lines?
While I can't speak to soldiers, there were a number of RAF officers who flew (and scored kills) with prosthetic limbs. Probably the most famous is Douglas Bader, whose story was told in the book and film Reach For the Sky. Bader joined the RAF in 1928, aged 18, and soon made a reputation for himself as a daring pilot. He was fond of aerobatics, but these would prove his downfall; in December 1931, he would crash while doing aerobatics at low level. Both his legs had to be amputated, and he was discharged from the RAF. As tensions rose in the late 1930s, Bader pressured the RAF to take him back. At first, he was only offered ground roles, but thanks to lobbying by senior officers of Bader's acquaintance, he was given a chance to prove he could fly. In October 1939, he did so, at the Central Flying School, Upavon. A month later, he was cleared to fly combat missions, and would join 19 Squadron in January 1940. Bader flew with 19, 222 and 242 Squadrons during 1940, flying throughout the Battle of Britain. In 1941, he was promoted to Wing Commander, and began to lead multi-squadron wings on sweeps over France. On 9th August 1941, however, his aircraft was shot down over France, and he was captured. While Bader was a prisoner, he made multiple attempts at escaping, and would ultimately be sent to the high-security POW camp at Colditz. Bader claimed 22 confirmed kills, with another six probables and five shared kills, making him one of the most successful British aces. Another ace with a prosthetic was James MacLachlan. MacLachlan lost his left arm flying over Malta, but was fitted with a prosthesis and was able to return to duty. On returning to duty, he was made commander of 1 Squadron, flying night fighters, before joining the experimental Air Fighting Development Unit, where he flew Mustang sweeps over France. In these two postings he made a total of eight kills - half of his total of 16 kills. Unfortunately, he was shot down and killed in July 1943. MacLachlan's wingman in the AFDU, Geoffrey Page, is also notable; he had suffered severe burns to both hands and his face during the Battle of Britain, but thanks to pioneering plastic surgery, was able to return to active service.