1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. I'm 2 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: Young Hascio. Everybody, welcome to Ridiculous History. I'm Ben Mushy Mushy, 3 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: my name is Noel, and yes, this is indeed Ridiculous History. 4 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: And I know that was the incorrect greeting. You set 5 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: up the theme correctly with your greeting, and you said 6 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: it beautifully, Ben, I said it terribly. Did I say 7 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: it better? Uh no, no, No, it turns out that 8 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: neither of a speak area and that's true. Is that 9 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: gonna be a problem for today's episode? It shouldn't be. 10 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: It shouldn't be. Did I tell you that story of 11 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: the last time I was in Korea? I went So 12 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: I was walking around, right, and I'm in Soul and 13 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 1: everybody is very everybody's very friendly. Walk into a shop 14 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: and well dressed here as well, right right, and yes, 15 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: very much so. And people with his shop owners or 16 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: shop employees when you walk in, they greet you. They 17 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: say hello on young Hasio, and they say it usually, 18 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: you know, in a loud stride and tone. And I 19 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: thought I was saying whatever the proper response was. And 20 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: so I walk in, these people would say hello, and 21 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: then I would say, I would do my bit in Korea, 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: which I do not speak, and then they would switch 23 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: to English and asked me, you know, if I needed help, 24 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: if it needs to look for anything, And I thought, okay, sure. 25 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: My Koreans admittedly garbage. It wasn't until I was driving back, 26 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: when I was riding back to the airport, when the 27 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: cab driver asked me, had I learned any Korean? And 28 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, I know this, and 29 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: I know this and when people say hello, I say 30 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: this and he and he stops and he goes, oh, man, 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: you haven't been like doing that, have you? He said, 32 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: you do? You know what that means? So what? And 33 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: he said it means where am I? So I was 34 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: walking in people are saying hello, and I was waving 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: at them and going where am I? And that's why 36 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: they switched it into like this man has in a 37 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: feug state of some sort. He is confused and stumbling 38 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: around and doesn't know what's going on. But what an adventure. 39 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: And despite our mutual lack of fluency in the Korean language, 40 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: we're still going to have a great time with today's story. 41 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: Oh we should also mention super producer Casey Pegram is 42 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: here always. I don't know. I did that like a 43 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: late show intro. We've got a great show for you today, 44 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: exactly that. I love it. He's always here, He's a staple. 45 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: When he's not here, I die a little inside a 46 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: little each time when he cries. So, no, we're we're 47 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: mentioning Korea. Not for nothing. We're mentioning Korea because it 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: is part of our story. Today's story is about a 49 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: war hero, right, Yeah, can I say badass on air? 50 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: I think he can? Ben Okay, I think you can. 51 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: We think you just did. We've been going back and 52 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: forth off air before about whether we can say the 53 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: three we agreed on if I remember what were they? 54 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: So there was ass. I mean, we're gonna just lay 55 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: them all out. Damn in hell? Should we save those? We? Well, 56 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: I mean I don't know. Um, those I think are approved. Um, 57 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: but when you say them all in a row like that, 58 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: it seems a little blue bend, seems a little blue. 59 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: Oh well, I'm sorry. Yeah, we went blue blue. You 60 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: never go blue. Once you go blue. We should just 61 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: do the episode. So yeah, Well, it's about a kind 62 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: of an unconventional war hero, a badass and his particular 63 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: flavor of badassery involved single handedly, largely single handedly, fending 64 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: off a wave of Chinese forces that were coming at 65 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: him with all they had, with all there might. Yes, 66 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: the story of William Speakman known as Bill to his friends, 67 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: Big Bill to his close friends, Big Bill Speakman, Big 68 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: Bill speak And was born on September n seven in Cheshire. 69 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: He was one of his kids who always wanted to 70 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: grow up and be a soldier, right and growing up, 71 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: a lot of us, regardless of where we live in 72 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: the world, a lot of us have known children like that. 73 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: When he was a teenager, he was watching the British 74 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: forces and the Allies takes on access powers. This inspired him. 75 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: He joined the army in nineteen forty five, which means 76 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: that he just barely missed the conflicts of World War Two. Yeah. 77 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: He was also part of admittedly like Game of Thrones 78 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: esque sounding order called the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment Um, 79 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: and then, as was his wish, he ended up joining 80 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: the King's Own Scottish Borderers, and that is the outfit 81 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: that he served with in Korea. And the King's Own 82 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: Scottish Borderers does sound like a band name, really does? 83 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: You know, so Bill, Big Bill goes to the Korean 84 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: Peninsula to take part in the Korean War. What's the 85 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: Korean War? Great question. The Korean War is this back 86 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: and forth struggle that has not yet officially ended, which 87 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: is crazy. It was a ceasefire, right and they have 88 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: you know, they have consistently not fired, but there was 89 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: no formal peace treaty. And it was a war that 90 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: had so many ideological you know, underpinnings because it was 91 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: essentially this conflict between communism and capitalism. And the United 92 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: States got involved because it was they looked at it 93 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: as very much a war against the forces of communism, 94 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: this ideological war. And then the in China has always 95 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: been a staunch supporter of North Korea. And even though 96 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: that makes for some funny bedfellows with us in China 97 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: and our relationship with them, and that's one of the 98 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: reasons we can't just go in to North Korea and 99 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: mess things up, because that would totally torpedo our relationship 100 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: with China, and we can't have that. Yeah, this was 101 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: a proxy war, also called a limited war, wherein the 102 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: superpowers of the world picked a third country so that 103 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: they weren't waging actual war on each other's soil, and 104 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: they fought their war. They're terrible, terrible thing for the 105 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: people who live in that third country. Right. So this 106 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: war began June nineteen fifty, and it went back and 107 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: forth for a time. The South Korean forces were on 108 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: the precipice of losing this struggle. In October of nineteen fifty, 109 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the border, and 110 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: the capital of Korea, Soul, would change hands what four 111 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: times during the struggle? And what is the thirty parallel, 112 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: ben that's a great question. The thirty eight parallel existed 113 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: originally as the boundary between the Soviet and American occupations 114 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: owns in Japan, but in nineteen it also became the 115 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: boundary between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK a 116 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: K North Korea and the r OKA or South Korea. 117 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: At the time, as you know, they both claim to 118 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: be the legitimate governments of the entire peninsula. And this 119 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: this changed a little bit when they signed their armist 120 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: Disagreement in nineteen fifty three, but we'll we'll get into 121 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: that later. The the important part is as as we've 122 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: established that the thirty eight parallel is where things reached 123 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: a stalemate. Enter big bills. Speakman, he's twenty four years old. 124 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: He's full of them, vigor, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and 125 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: thirsty to serve his country. So, as we said, he 126 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: volunteers in Korea. And when he is volunteering to engage 127 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: in this conflict, it's still very much anyone's game. It's 128 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: going back and worth soul is being captured, recaptured, and 129 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: he transfers to was the name of the group you 130 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, the King's own Scottish Borderers. So he transfers 131 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: to them expressly to join the fight in Korea. He 132 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: wants to see actual field service. And boy does he ever, 133 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: because Speakman's battalion was um up defending a position on 134 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: Maryang Son in Korea, and that is when six thousand 135 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,839 Speaker 1: Chinese soldiers laid siege, and we're trying to remove them 136 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: from that position and take over. So let's set the stage. 137 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: It's the early hours of November four. The defending battalion 138 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: is coming under increasingly aggressive and dangerous mortar fire and artillery, 139 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: and that is followed by a wave of Chinese troops 140 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: advance sensing from their positions, they attack the Commonwealth trenches 141 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: and by a little bit before six in the morning 142 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: or so, the sides have entered Malay hand to hand combat. Yeah, 143 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: I'm confused about this. So why were they doing hand 144 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: to hand combat? Why weren't they shooting at each other? 145 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: Because they got close enough too. So so the mortar 146 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: fire and the artillery it's smacking the tar out of 147 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: the Commonwealth troops. And while they're on the defensive, the 148 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: soldiers are getting close enough too. This is trench warfare. 149 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: It's essentially like that going over the top kind of 150 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: situation right right, So they couldn't shoot from you know, 151 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: from like a rifle position, an individual walking position. You 152 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: can't shoot into the trench easily. That makes sense. So 153 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: when we say hand to hand, we are talking largely 154 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: about I mean just that there's fists involved, there's hand 155 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: grenades involved, eyes, there's chucking anything that you can get 156 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: your hands on involved, and that that becomes a big 157 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:10,959 Speaker 1: part of the story. So Private big Bill Speakman is 158 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: prepping hand grenades when he hears a message over the 159 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: radio saying that two groups have been overrun, two platoons 160 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: and that the ridge may fall into enemy hands, so 161 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: he gets the band back together. He gathers up whomever 162 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 1: is closest to him, hands out grenades and says, let's go. 163 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: And there's this quote in an article from The Independent 164 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: that has speakman describing the scene like this. He says, 165 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: it was hand to hand. There was no time to 166 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: pull back the bolt of the rifle. Um. It was November. 167 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: The ground was hard, so grenades bounced and did damage. 168 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: It makes you think of like a video game called 169 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: Borderlands where you could get different mods for your grenades, 170 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: and one of them made them like bouncing grenades, so 171 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,839 Speaker 1: they would like literally bounce off of things and then 172 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: explode continuously. I know it's not the kind of sci 173 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: fi situation that's going on here, but what would Why 174 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: would a bouncing grenade do more damage? I'm trying to 175 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: picture that because it only blows up once, so I 176 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: guess we're speculating. We would say that the bounce puts 177 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: it in a different position, you know, sort of like 178 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: hitting hitting a cool trick shot on a pool table. 179 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 1: Maybe it gets it makes it go farther too. You 180 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 1: can literally bounce it off because the ground is cold 181 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: and frozen, you could bounce it off and then it 182 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: would go farther, and if you're just chucking tons of them, 183 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: then it would just create absolute havoc. So he's got 184 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: his group of six men who have joined him in 185 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: collecting piles of grenades and and and throwing them right 186 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: at the enemy forces. It's important to say that speakman 187 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: does this on his own initiative. He's not ordered to 188 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: do so. He gets hit in the leg because war 189 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: is an ugly, nasty, dangerous thing, but he keeps fighting, 190 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: and he holds back the Chinese forces long enough for 191 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: those platoons that were overrun to evacuate their wounded, and 192 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: he keeps going. We'll never know how long he would 193 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: keep going. He didn't stop until he was directly ordered 194 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: to get his leg looked at. Yeah, but in the meantime, 195 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: when they ran of grenades, he started just grabbing whatever 196 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: he could get his hands on, and um. In these days, 197 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 1: the troops were allowed to have some beer, so they 198 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: had a whole kind of pile of empty beer bottles, 199 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: and he was able to kind of create a diversion 200 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: just by hurling beer bottles at the oncoming opposition, and 201 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: probably didn't actually kill anybody or hurt anybody too badly. 202 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: But it certainly would have been annoying, and it certainly 203 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: would have caused a distraction, right, I mean, it's the 204 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: thought that killed absolutely reminds me of that story we 205 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: did about the Americans throwing potatoes at a U boat. Yep, yep, 206 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: that really happened. It was. It was perhaps exaggerated in 207 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: later retellings, but it did happen. There's there's a great 208 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: article of war history online by Jeff Edwards about this 209 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: worry about Big Bill Speakman, and it confirms that he 210 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: did indeed throw these beer bottles. This this story gets 211 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: a little bit exaggerated sometimes because you'll hear people say 212 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: that he just started throwing everything he could hand grenades, 213 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: beer bottles, empty ration tens, pencils, small woodland creatures, kitchen silverware, 214 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: cricket bats, and his own well, we'll we'll edit this 215 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: for the air, his own blank meaty fist that comes 216 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: from the great website Badass of the Week dot com, 217 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: which I highly highly highly recommend. He did throw more 218 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: than grenades and more than beer bottles too. They threw 219 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: ration tens, they threw stones, and this did work. The 220 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:50,079 Speaker 1: press loved this. By the way, they started calling Bill 221 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: Speakman the beer bottle VC. And I don't know if 222 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if you saw this partner, he hated 223 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: that nickname. What is VC mean? That's a big part 224 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 1: of the story too, that that's the Victorian Cross. Yes, 225 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: the Victorian Cross. Tell us a little bit about that. Yeah. 226 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: The Victorian Cross is the highest military honor in UH 227 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: in the United Kingdom. It is awarded for unparalleled bravery 228 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: in the heat of battle and was first awarded in 229 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven by Queen Victoria Um. She presented them 230 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: to sixty two soldiers in front of about a hundred 231 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: thousand people at Hyde Park. UH. And it has gone 232 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: on to remain the highest military honor that one can receive. 233 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: And Bill Speakman got it right away. Because of this, 234 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: this story caught the public's imagination. Uh. He really was 235 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: incredibly brave. And to hear him talk about it, he's like, man, 236 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: you know, it was just doing what I was trained 237 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: to do. So yeah, it's it's rarefied air. Indeed, the 238 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: medal has been awarded one thousand, three d fifty eight times, 239 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: but only fifteen medals been awarded since World War Two. 240 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: And if I'm not mistaken. This would have been the 241 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: first VC to be awarded by the current Queen, Queen 242 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: Elizabeth the second. Yeah, that's correct. So he loved his country, 243 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: loved being a VC recipient. He did not care in 244 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: any shape, form or fashion to be referred to as 245 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: the beer bottle VC because he thought it made the 246 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: army look bad. He thought the implication people would get 247 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: from this was that he and his colleagues were drinking 248 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: on the job and they weren't weird. Fact, you know 249 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: what they used the beer for. They used it to 250 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: cool down gun barrels. Apparently I didn't know that. I 251 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: did not know that either, and I still. I mean, 252 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: if you are listening and you were one of your 253 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: relatives was in the Korean War or associated with it, 254 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: let us know if that's true, because it sounds like 255 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: a convenient excuse, you know what I mean, Sorry, Sarge, 256 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: we're not This beer isn't for drinking. These guns just 257 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: gets hot. Well it's true, though, Ben, they do get 258 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: pretty hot. And you know, these kind of situations require 259 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: thinking on your feet, using once you have around, as 260 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: evidenced by this whole situation, which made him one of 261 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: the like a national hero basically, and he returned back 262 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: to his home town of Altrinsham in Cheshire, and he 263 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: was beloved. There was a parade for him before he 264 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: got home. People had like cleaned his house for him, 265 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: and he was treated very differently and he didn't particularly 266 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: care for it. He did not adjust very well to 267 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: life as a civilian, and he re enlisted pretty quickly. Yeah, yep. 268 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: He went on to serve in the army until nineteen 269 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: sixties seven. He served in the Indonesia Confrontation, the Aidan Emergency, 270 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: the Malayan Emergency. In twenty fifteen, he made a return 271 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: trip to South Korea along with other veterans of the war, 272 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: and when he was there he donated Hisctoria Cross to 273 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: South Korea. He believed it started there and he thought 274 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: it was sensible to leave it there and believe he 275 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: had a replica made that he gave to North Korea. 276 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: Does the yeah, yeah, right, because you know, you want 277 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: to be fair. What's interesting here is that the Victoria 278 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: Cross he donates to South Korea is not a replica, 279 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: but it is a replacement. You see, like so many 280 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,919 Speaker 1: veterans of wars Speakman was lauded at the beginning, but 281 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: later fell on financial hardship, right, and he sold his 282 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: original Victoria Cross, using the money to put a new 283 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: roof on his house and only later was given a 284 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: genuine replacement. Not to mention that in nineteen UM he 285 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: was actually given an absolute discharge from the service because 286 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 1: he was arrested and borrow for stealing hundred and four 287 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: pounds from a woman's purse. Um. And it was likely 288 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: only his you know, lauded military career that kept him 289 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: out of jail, right. And he was never really comfortable 290 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: with this um, this heroic image. He wasn't comfortable being 291 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: a walking icon. We've got a quote from an interview 292 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: he did with the BBC around the time he went 293 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: to South Korea. He said, it started to dawn on 294 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: me as the days went by, stopping in the street. 295 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: No matter what where you went in ultra cham, people 296 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: were trying to do things for you. I didn't realize 297 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: why it's got the VC really, because I only did 298 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: what the other guys did. We fought and that's what 299 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,679 Speaker 1: we were trained to do. So he wasn't into the 300 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: you know, the ego boost the hero worship stuff, and 301 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: he didn't want people to think that he was some raging, violent, 302 00:18:55,320 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: drunk carousing and careeming throughout the Korean War. He was 303 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: a guy with a job and he did it as 304 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: seriously as he could, even when that involved throwing rocks 305 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: and stones and ration tins, which technically, depending on whether 306 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: the tins were empty or full, could make this a 307 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: food fight. That's very true. He only just recently passed 308 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 1: away in June at the age of ninety um. He 309 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: had immigrated to South Africa several times and come back, 310 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 1: but then ultimately returned to the UK, to Chelsea, which 311 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: is where he passed away at the Royal Hospital and Chelsea, Yes, 312 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: it's a retirement home and nursing home for around three 313 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: veterans of the British Army. And with the passing of 314 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: Bill Speakman, we see the end of his story, his 315 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 1: his part, his small part of the Korean War, which 316 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: as we record this episode today still technically continues the 317 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: two countries sharing that peninsula, and he stayed, you have 318 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: not made peace, but it is an eternal hope for 319 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: the people and the governments of both sides. That was 320 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 1: like the safest, most diplomatic way to say. I think 321 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: that's very smart to keep it, you know, it. Diplomacy 322 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: is key here Ban diplomacy is key. And you've been 323 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 1: to South Korea twice. Yeah, yeah, I am probably going 324 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: back later this year. Actually really Yeah, it's a thing though, 325 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you just find yourself in situations. Well, I guess, 326 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: so we'll make sure to bring me another hat. That's 327 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: become our tradition. Now. Yeah, I'm glad you appreciate it 328 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: very much. So you gotta go sometime if if you 329 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: get the chance, I'll say it. I know this is 330 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: the most square thing to say about visiting a place. 331 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: But the food is amazing. Yeah, it looks like it 332 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: every time you guys go. I can't, can't look away 333 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: from the Instagram stories. So much delicious Korean barbecue. There's 334 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: a new Korean barbecue place in Decatur as well, down 335 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: the street from where we record this podcast. Yeah, it's legit. 336 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 1: It gets the stamp. What's it called D ninety two? 337 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: No idea where the name comes from. I'll have to 338 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: check out. I love a good Korean barbecue and Ben, 339 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: by the way, unrelated with food related, Happy National Burrito Day. 340 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: Thank you, You're welcome. I didn't want to have to 341 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: remind you, so I'm glad that you're saying it. And 342 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: thank god we've got leftover Chipotle in the office today 343 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: so I can honor this holiday with Gusto. Yes. Yes, 344 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: And we also worked down the street from a restaurant 345 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: called Gusto and a restaurant called Chipotle, and a restaurant 346 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 1: called Chipotle. Uh, Casey, Pegram are you are you a 347 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: fan of burritos? Love a good burrito? Yeah? How what 348 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: would be your ideal burrito? Um, I'm pretty weird about burrito's. 349 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: I I do not pack my burrito with much of anything. Yeah, exactly. 350 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: I get like steak, rice, cheese, and that's that's it. 351 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: I'm good. No beans, no, no beans, bean free, Casey, 352 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: no beans, Beegram on the case. So this concludes our 353 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: This concludes our episode, but not our show. Thank you 354 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. We would like to hear 355 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: your stories of unorthodox, strange, or fascinating events in times 356 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: of conflict. You know, whether from civilians, whether from soldiers, 357 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: whether your first hand experience, a story from one of 358 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: your relatives. Hit us with it. You can find us 359 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: on Facebook, you can find us on Instagram. We're also 360 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: on in a stunning plot twist Twitter it's not really 361 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: stunning plot twist. That's kind of required, right, Yeah, yeah, 362 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: it's it's uh, it's standard operating procedure. I don't really 363 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: mess with Twitter. There's a whole language and vocabulary surrounding 364 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 1: Twitter that I am just blissfully ignorant to. I am 365 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: an Instagram kid and you can follow me if you 366 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: like at Embryonic Insider. You can find me and my 367 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: various misadventures getting kicked in and kicked out of countries 368 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: around the world on Instagram at Ben Bowling. You can 369 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: see me on Twitter at Ben Bowling h s W. 370 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: Most importantly, you can see our favorite part of the 371 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: show your fellow listeners, live and direct on our Facebook page, 372 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Historians. Thanks as always to our super producer Casey Pegraham, 373 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: Thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme. Thanks to 374 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: our research associate Gabe Lousier, Thanks to Bill Speakman, thanks 375 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: to Christopher Hasiotis, thanks to whomever invented the burrito, and 376 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: thanks to you weal Hey Ben, Thanks to you too, 377 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: and thanks to our next episode, which you can join 378 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 1: us for or we talk about weird Chinese cult surrounding 379 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: a certain Jesus of Nazareth fellow Yeah Cults. Oh uh wait, 380 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: are you thanking our episode? I am in advance. Okay, 381 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 1: well let's make it good. You see you next time, folks. 382 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit the I 383 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 384 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:53,719 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.