Victoria Cross and other medals awarded to Sergeant W. Speakman

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These medals are the Victoria Cross, Korea Medal, United Nations Korea Medal, General Service Medal 1918-62 with a bar for Malaya, Campaign Service Medal 1962 with bars for Borneo and Radfan, and the Coronation Medal, 1953. William Speakman served in the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

There were sensationalised reports of a drunk Private Speakman hurling beer bottles at the Chinese, but the daily ration of beer was one bottle per man, and 'Big Bill' was of such a build that it would have been difficult to get drunk on such a quantity.

The Korean War (1950-53) was fought between North Korea and China on one side, and South Korea, the U.S.A. and U.N. forces on the other. It arose from the boundary drawn between North and South Korea at the end of World War II along the 38th parallel.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-000-100-303-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: The Thistle at War
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  M.1986.9
• Date: 1950 - 1953
  1950-53
  
• Material: Medals awarded to Sergeant W. Speakman, 1951
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Medals awarded to Sergeant W. Speakman, 1951
  
• Subject: Medals
  
• Who: King's Own Scottish Borderers
  Seargeant William Speakman (owner)
  
• Where: Korea (where war took place)
  
• Event: Korean War
  
• Description: Victoria Cross and other medals awarded to Sergeant William Speakman of the King's Own Scottish Borderers for service in Korea, 1950-53.
  
• References:
  • Adkin, Leo The last eleven?; the story of the post-war VCs London: Leo Cooper, 1991 
  • Wood, Stephen The Scottish soldier. Manchester: Archive Publications in association with the National Museums of Scotland, 1987 
• Translations:
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