Tribute to Victoria Cross hero Sgt Bill Speakman whose comrades shouted his name as battle cry

Tribute has been paid to King's Own Scottish Border Mr Speakman, who has died peacefully aged 90 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea surrounded by members of his family, after a life of adventure on land and at sea that saw him three times married, involved in countless military theatres and sell his medal for his family.

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His heroic actions on November 4, 1951 ensured he was one of only four awarded for the Korean War and the first VC to be invested by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Speakman was said to have laid the foundations for his future by learning responsibility, self-reliance and concern for others from an early age, values which were reinforced by his enthusiasm for the Scouts in which, during the Second World War, he ran messages for the civil defence organisation and made cups of tea for those who had been bombed out of their houses.

Brought up by his mother, Hannah - on her own as a domestic servant in Cheshire for eight years before she married a storekeeper -he joined the Army under age as the war was ending, being posted throughout the UK and Europe.

Volunteering for active service from the Black Watch in Germany, Mr Speakman arrived in Korea in 1951 as one of many individual reinforcements and was posted to the King's Own Scottish Borderers, where he became a signaller and runner for B Company Headquarters under the command of Major Philip Harrison.

He was soon to be thrown into a battle that would define his leadership qualities.

The Battalion had taken over the defence of a tactically important hill, nicknamed "United", which had been captured by Australian allies.

The KOSB quickly set about improving the defences, taking in a supply of ammunition, particularly grenades, to withstand the expected Chinese counter attack.

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Following a heavy artillery barrage, a full scale assault from a Chinese Division of 6,000 men was pressed forward with such ferocity that reports suggested many of the soldiers had been drugged.

For over four hours of intense fighting, Mr Speakman rallied a group of five other soldiers, most senior to himself, and repeatedly charged the attacking waves of Chinese infantry.

Outnumbered by at least ten to one, Mr Speakman was thought to have thrown or rolled over 100 grenades at the enemy, which, given the hardness of the ground and the close formation of the attackers, had a devastating effect.

With total disregard for his own safety, Mr Speakman so inspired his comrades, who allegedly shouted his name as a battle cry, that the onslaught was stemmed, but only temporarily.

Having exhausted their ammunition and taken considerable casualties, the company was ordered to retire under cover of artillery and mortar fire, whilst in a final charge Mr Speakman threw smoke grenades.

Mr Speakman and his Company Sergeant Major, both badly wounded, helped each other down the hill, before being evacuated by field ambulance.

No sooner had his VC been announced than scurrilous rumours circulated that Mr Speakman had thrown beer bottles, after running out of grenades, attributing his actions to drunkenness or blind rage. Such false accusations totally discredit the extreme control he must have exercised in overcoming his own fears to sustain such a courageous performance over several hours.

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Company Commander Major Philip Harrison said: “He did far more than can be put on paper.

"Apart from shouting at him not to charge into Manchuria, we left him alone to run his own show.”

The KOSB that day not only earned praise, but also 13 other awards, including a Distinguished Service Order for Major Harrison.

For those other five who had charged with Mr Speakman, CSM “Busty“ Murdoch received a Distinguished Conduct Medal for his consistent leadership throughout the campaign, Corporal Eric Wood and Private "Paddy" Buchanan were given Military Medals - but neither Sergeant "Jock" Duncan nor Corporal "Tug" Wilson received any formal honours.

Arriving home to a hero’s welcome in an austere Britain, Mr Speakman was overwhelmed by the immense press and public attention brought on by his newly created celebrity status and, to escape this, he volunteered for a second tour of Korea.

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In 1953, he joined the Special Air Service during the Malayan Emergency, where again he displayed selfless courage, perseverance and endurance by volunteering to find and bring back the bodies of two friends killed in a terrorist ambush in the jungle.

He carried the bodies out one by one on his back in two successive patrols, even though his feet were cut to shreds because he had been issued with the wrong sized jungle boots through which his bare toes protruded.

The remainder of his military career was spent with the KOSB, with whom he felt a sense of belonging.

He never regretted joining and took to the regiment’s unofficial motto: “Once a Borderer, always a Borderer.”

He rose to the rank of Sergeant, serving in Malaya, Aden, Borneo, Germany and the UK.

He married Women’s Royal Army Corps' Rachel Ann York Snitch, in Singapore in 1955 and they had six children.

Frequent moves between postings were often a logistical nightmare; a subaltern once found a child left behind on a railway platform.

Leaving the Army after 23 years’ service in 1968, Mr Speakman found it difficult to settle into civilian life.

Wanting to do the best for his family, he felt compelled to sell his VC to pay for repairs to the house left them by his mother in law so that he could buy a larger house for the family in Devon.

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After various false starts in ill-suited jobs, he joined the Merchant Navy where he had a successful second career as a Master at Arms with the Union Castle Line and was extremely popular with passengers and staff alike.

A life constantly away at sea took a toll on his otherwise happy marriage however and, after 16 years, he and Rachel drifted into divorce.

He subsequently married twice more but both relationships ended in divorce.

Deciding to make a clean break from his past, Mr Speakman moved to South Africa, a country which he had grown to love for its people, climate and the sense of freedom.

Liberated by his new life, he took up flying microlights over game reserves and enjoyed teaching paraplegics how to fly also.

He worked for the government as a security and maintenance manager, later meeting Nelson Mandela, whom he admired.

Visiting South Korea for the first time since the 1950s, as part of an official commemoration in 2010, Mr Speakman was astonished by the country’s economic transformation and this was said to have confirmed his own view that the war had been worth fighting.

Following health issues, Mr Speakman settled back in the UK and in 2013 he was admitted to the Royal Hospital Chelsea as an in-pensioner.

On Remembrance Day, it was a touching spectacle to see him in his distinctive Chelsea Pensioners’ uniform being pushed in a wheel chair past The Cenotaph by a younger VC winner from a more recent conflict, Sergeant Johnson Beharry, who became a firm friend.

But, for Bill, it was not about him; he did not set out to win the medal or seek its fame and glory.

He never forgot those friends who had paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives or those who had fought with him that day on a remote hillside in a far-away land.

His first reaction on being notified of his VC award was: “What about the other guys?”