Bill Speakman

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For the Australian footballer, see Bill Speakman (footballer).
William Speakman-Pitt
Bill Speakman VC.JPG
Born (1927-09-21) 21 September 1927 (age 96)
Altrincham, Cheshire, England
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Flag of the British Army.svg British Army
Years of service 1945–1967
Rank Sergeant
Unit Black Watch
King's Own Scottish Borderers (att'h)
Special Air Service
Battles/wars Korean War
Malayan Emergency
Indonesian Confrontation
Aden Emergency
Awards Victoria Cross (UK) ribbon.png Victoria Cross

William Speakman-Pitt, VC (born 21 September 1927) is a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the first man to receive a VC from Queen Elizabeth II. As of February 2015 he is one of six living VC holders.

Miliary career

He was born and brought up in Altrincham, Cheshire. 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. Although his award was made by King George VI, Speakman was the first VC invested by Queen Elizabeth II.

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, Private 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.[1]

Press reports of the time reported that Private Speakman began throwing bottles at the enemy after running out of grenades. The bottles were in fact beer bottles sent to the line for platoon consumption (40 men-approx 4 per man). By the time the platoon were attacked, the bottles were empty, thus constituting suitable weaponry.[citation needed]

He later achieved the rank of sergeant and served in Malaya (with the SAS) Borneo and Radfan.[2]

Later life

Due to economic hardship, Speakman sold his original VC, using the money to put a new roof on his cottage, but later got a genuine replacement.[3] His Victoria Cross is displayed in the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. He was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions.[4]

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.[5]

Bill Speakman is currently a uniformed in-pensioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39418. p. 6731. 25 December 1951. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Ministry of Defence
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • The Last Eleven? (Mark Adkin, 1991)
  • Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
  • The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
  • Symbol of Courage:A History of the Victoria Cross (Max Arthur, 2004)
  • Beyond the Legend: Bill Speakman VC (Derek Hunt & John Mulholland, The History Press, 2013)
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