Bill Speakman was a brave man. In fact it's fair to say that he was a very brave man.
He was a holder of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for military valour. He died recently at the age of 91, and his exploits are worth recording especially as he won his VC in the forgotten war in Korea.
Born in Altrincham near Manchester in 1927, he grew to be six foot six inches in height and in 1945 he joined the Black Watch regiment. He served in Borneo, Italy, Greece, and Malaysia during the cold war era. But it was in Korea were he was with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers that his finest hour came.
He was aged just 24 and with his battalion at a place called Maryang San (United Hill), when they were attacked by thousands of Chinese and North Korean troops. He was just a private and was manning the grenades during the attack, and when they were about to be overrun he collected six other men and a pile of grenades, and led a series of charges.
When they ran out he was undaunted and grabbed anything he could find to hand, rocks, and beer bottles. He then carried on charging the advancing enemy throwing his makeshift weapons and involving serious hand to hand combat. Wounded in the leg he still drove the enemy before him and saved the position from being overrun. Remarkably he survived relatively unscathed and fathered seven proud children.
He donated his replacement Victoria Cross (he sold his first when he fell on hard times, but unusually was given a real replacement version when the news of his sale became public), to South Korea. He ended his days as a Chelsea Pensioner.
Included the tributes that poured in at the news of his passing was the phrase "an ultimate warrior". Never were truer words spoken.
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| Bill Speakman - VC |
He was a holder of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for military valour. He died recently at the age of 91, and his exploits are worth recording especially as he won his VC in the forgotten war in Korea.
Born in Altrincham near Manchester in 1927, he grew to be six foot six inches in height and in 1945 he joined the Black Watch regiment. He served in Borneo, Italy, Greece, and Malaysia during the cold war era. But it was in Korea were he was with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers that his finest hour came.
He was aged just 24 and with his battalion at a place called Maryang San (United Hill), when they were attacked by thousands of Chinese and North Korean troops. He was just a private and was manning the grenades during the attack, and when they were about to be overrun he collected six other men and a pile of grenades, and led a series of charges.
When they ran out he was undaunted and grabbed anything he could find to hand, rocks, and beer bottles. He then carried on charging the advancing enemy throwing his makeshift weapons and involving serious hand to hand combat. Wounded in the leg he still drove the enemy before him and saved the position from being overrun. Remarkably he survived relatively unscathed and fathered seven proud children.
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| Chelsea Pensioner (21 September 1927 – 20 June 2018) |
He donated his replacement Victoria Cross (he sold his first when he fell on hard times, but unusually was given a real replacement version when the news of his sale became public), to South Korea. He ended his days as a Chelsea Pensioner.
Included the tributes that poured in at the news of his passing was the phrase "an ultimate warrior". Never were truer words spoken.
He looks like a "cook me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast" kinda guy.
ReplyDeleteSounds like something Arnold "Ace" Judas Rimmer would have said! ...Oh, wait ... he did.
DeleteWhat a guy!
DeleteDoesn't he look like Sean Connery?
ReplyDeleteHe does a bit, especially as he got older. Thanks for the comment.
Delete