Bill Speakman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Speakman
|
|
|---|---|
Private Speakman in Korea
|
|
| Born | 21 September 1927 Altrincham, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 20 June 2018 (aged 90) London, England |
| Buried |
United Nations Memorial Cemetery, Busan, Republic of Korea
|
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
British Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1968 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Service number | 14471590 |
| Unit | Black Watch King's Own Scottish Borderers (att'h) Special Air Service |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Korean War Second Battle of Maryang-san Malayan Emergency Indonesian Confrontation Aden Emergency |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Taegeuk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit (South Korea) |
William Speakman-Pitt, known as Bill Speakman, was a brave soldier in the British Army. He was born on 21 September 1927 and passed away on 20 June 2018. Bill Speakman received the Victoria Cross (VC), which is the highest award given for incredible bravery in battle to British and Commonwealth soldiers. He was also the very first person to receive an award from Queen Elizabeth II.
A Soldier's Life
Bill Speakman grew up in Altrincham, Cheshire, England. He went to Wellington Road School in Timperley. When he was 24 years old, he was a private (a junior rank) in the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). He was helping the 1st Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers during the Korean War. It was during this war that he showed amazing courage and earned his Victoria Cross.
Heroic Actions in Korea
On 4 November 1951, during the Second Battle of Maryang-san in Korea, Bill Speakman's company was in a tough spot. The enemy was attacking, and many soldiers were hurt. Bill Speakman decided to act on his own. He filled his pockets with grenades and ran forward, throwing them at the Chinese soldiers.
After using all his grenades, he went back for more. His bravery inspired six other soldiers to join him. They gathered more grenades and followed him as he charged the enemy again and again. Bill Speakman broke up several enemy attacks, causing them to suffer many losses. Even though he was wounded in his leg and shoulder, he kept leading the charges. The fighting was so fierce that they ran out of ammunition. They even started throwing stones and food tins at the enemy! Thanks to their incredible efforts, the enemy was held back long enough for his company to safely retreat.
The newspapers at the time called him the 'beerbottle' VC. Bill didn't like this nickname because he worried people would think he and his friends were drinking beer during duty. Actually, they used the beer bottles to cool down their hot gun barrels!
After the War
Even though King George VI had approved his award, Bill Speakman was the first Victoria Cross recipient to be given the medal by Queen Elizabeth II. He later became a sergeant (a higher rank) and served in other places like Malaya (with the Special Air Service), Borneo, and Radfan. In Malaya, he helped find and bring back the bodies of two soldiers who had died fighting against Communist rebels in the jungle.
Later Years
Later in his life, Bill Speakman faced money problems. He had to sell his original Victoria Cross medal to pay for a new roof on his house. However, he later bought a copy of the medal so he could still wear it. His original Victoria Cross is now on display at the National War Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle.
In 2006, he was interviewed for a TV show called Victoria Cross Heroes. This show used old videos and acted-out scenes to tell the story of his brave actions.
On 21 April 2015, in a special ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, Bill Speakman gave a copy of his Victoria Cross and other medals to the people and government of South Korea. This showed his strong connection to the country where he fought so bravely. Bill Speakman later became a Chelsea pensioner, living at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a home for retired soldiers. He passed away on 20 June 2018. His ashes were buried in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in South Korea on 19 February 2019.
