Is that the same Bill Speakman that worked with UCL.
Vic
Printable View
Is that the same Bill Speakman that worked with UCL.
Vic
He was a Master at Arms on UCL.
On Memorial Sunday last November it showed him in a parade of Veterans and it mentioned that.
FROM WIKIPEDIA...................................
Military career[edit]
He was born and brought up in Altrincham, Cheshire and educated at Wellington school. He was 24 years old and a private in the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), British Army, attached to the 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers during the Korean War when the following deed took place at United Hill, for which he was awarded the VC.
On 4 November 1951 in Korea, when the section holding the left shoulder of the company's position had been seriously depleted by casualties and was being overrun by the enemy, Speakman, on his own initiative, collected six men and a pile of grenades and led a series of charges. He broke up several enemy attacks, causing heavy casualties and in spite of being wounded in the leg continued to lead charge after charge. He kept the enemy at bay long enough to enable his company to withdraw safely.[3]
Although his award was made by King George VI, Speakman was the first VC invested by Queen Elizabeth II. He later achieved the rank of sergeant and served in Malaya (with the Special Air Service), Borneo and Radfan.[4]
Later life
Due to financial hardship, Speakman sold his original VC, using the money to put a new roof on his cottage, but later got a genuine replacement.[5] His Victoria Cross is displayed in the National War Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle. He was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes, which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions.[6]
In a ceremony held in Seoul on 21 April 2015, for visiting veterans of the Korean War, Speakman gave a replica of his Victoria Cross and other medals to the people and government of South Korea.[7] As of 2016, Speakman is a uniformed in-pensioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He still meets Queen Elizabeth II and other Victoria Cross recipients at reunions.[2]
Bill was Master at Arms on the Royal Mail ship Pendennis Castle in the 70's.Quote:
Originally Posted by vic mcclymont
Fouro.
This interview is related to post # 10. It is so good that we are able to listen to Bill speaking about it.
Bill Speakman
Fouro.
Over three quarters of British troops who fought in the Korean war (The Forgotten War)
1950-1953 were National Servicemen.
WHY HAVE THEY FORGOTTEN.
Why have they forgotten,
Will someone let me know,
A war fought through the summer,
And through the winter's snow,
Will anyone out there listen,
To what we have to say?,
While fighting in Korea,
We lived from day to day,
We were young British Conscripts,
Sent to fight that war,
And after it had ended,
You heard of us no more,
Many young National Servicemen,
Sacrificed their flesh and blood,
While serving in Korea,
They died whilst fighting in mud,
They were proud to serve their country,
In that far away land,
Why our nation has forgotten them,
One shall never understand.
Fouro.
It was also the same in the Malaya war, that lasted ten years, many 28 shillings a week National Servicemen..
Today no one cares .