Article

2018-06-24 -Obits-

Giant 6ft 6in British war hero dubbed ‘Big Bill' who won the Victoria Cross after fending off 6,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers in Korean War dies at 90

[Mail] Bill Speakman, the first soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross by the Queen, has died at the age of 90.

The 6ft 6in Korean War hero earned the medal after fighting off Chinese and North Korean soldiers with beer bottles and rocks when he ran out of ammunition.

In 1951, he was attached to the King's Own Scottish Borderers at the height of the Korean War when the regiment's position came under a ferocious Chinese attack.

After he ran out of grenades he began throwing empty beer bottles at the enemy repelled charge after charge, enabling his vastly outnumbered company to withdraw safely.

Posted by Skidmark 2018-06-24 02:18|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Truly, a hero. It’s comforting, and humbling, to know such men as he exist, and to try to be worthy of them.

Posted by trailing wife 2018-06-24 14:02|| 2018-06-24 14:02|| Front Page Top

#2 What is amazing is that he died at age 90, and nt at age 24.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2018-06-24 16:31|| 2018-06-24 16:31|| Front Page Top

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