It is often said that anything can become a weapon if the wearer has enough imagination and ingenuity and it seems to be absolutely true. Perhaps this is why British soldier William Speakman won his country's highest honour, the Victoria Cross, fighting in Korea with... bottles.
Having exhausted his ammunition, fireballs and grenades, in the human waves that the Chinese unleashed on the British positions, Speakman began to throw at the enemies what else there was and there were empty beer bottles...
Speakman was born in England in 1927. He did not get to fight in World War II although he wanted to. So when the Korean War broke out in 1950, he volunteered and joined the British Expeditionary Force that would fight in that Asian country. Because of his height he was known as "Big Bill".
In November 1951 Speakman joined the famous Scots Borderers regiment and was in his trench awaiting the new Chinese raid. Chinese artillery was shelling the British positions causing casualties. Suddenly the cries of thousands of men were heard.
A huge human wave was thrown from the heights opposite the Britons and charged at them. Speakman's battalion would not be able to withstand the attack, having already suffered casualties from the enemy artillery.
But some brave Britons, including Speakman, decided that the best defense was a counterattack. So, throwing grenades, they rushed out of their fighting positions and counterattacked. But the grenades ran out and the human wave did not stop.
Then the towering Speakman took refuge in the empty beer bottles. Standing up, blindfolded, anyway and especially against the Chinese, he started throwing the bottles with all his might with great results!
In this way he not only struck down many opponents but, most importantly, frightened the enemies and animated his colleagues who began to fight furiously. The attack was repulsed and Speakman returned home a hero honored with the Victoria Cross by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
Despite this, Speakman did not calm down. He continued to fight for his country and then Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Aden. He died honored on July 20, 2018.
British infantry and tanks in Korea.
Speakman in old age.