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British actor Michael Caine, or more accurately Sir Michael Caine, recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Winner of two Academy Awards, a BAFTA and three Golden Globes, Cain starred in more than 150 films during a career that spanned more than 60 years.
But did you know that in addition to starring in these war films, Michael Caine has combat experience himself?
Long before he became a Hollywood celebrity, he charged, in the middle of the night, guns blazing, toward a unit of Chinese soldiers who were tracking him.
This is the story of Michael Caine and his military service during the Korean War.
/"Rorke's Drift – Reality versus the film /"Zulu/"
https://youtu.be/H652MzEolqs
Michael Caine or, to use his birth name, Maurice Joseph Micklewhite was born in south London in 1933.
In 1952 he was conscripted for national service and joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.
He was offered the chance to complete his two-year National Service if he volunteered to serve in the British Army during the Korean War.
He jumped at the chance and after a 6-week voyage aboard a troop ship, he arrived in Korea.
The Royal Fusiliers went to the front line in the Samichon River valley.
On his first night on duty in the trenches, Caine suddenly heard the strange sound of a trumpet somewhere ahead of him.
Less than a mile away, emerging from their trenches were thousands of Chinese soldiers, led by hundreds of trumpets.
For Caine, 19, and the other young Royal Fusiliers, it was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
The Chinese attack was like something out of World War I, their commanders sending wave after wave of men forward in the hope that their numbers would eventually prevail. But they didn't.
Soon after, he was part of a three-man patrol sent to observe the Chinese lines.
On the way back to their lines, they were passing through a rice field when the aroma of garlic filled Caine's nostrils.
Chinese soldiers used to chew garlic.
They were followed.
The three men fell to the ground. He remained there, absolutely motionless, barely daring to breathe, his finger on the trigger of his weapon. They heard the rustling of the grass and the hushed murmurs of the Chinese.
Suddenly, the three British soldiers emerged from their cover and charged the Chinese, firing like crazy.
The Chinese were completely surprised.
Eventually they reached the safety of the British lines.
It is interesting to note that his first acting role in a film was in the 1956 war film: "A Hilltop in Korea" (released in the United States under the title "Hell in Korea") in which he played a soldier on a patrol during the Korean War.
60,000 British military personnel served in the Korean War. 1,100 were killed and 2,600 injured.
So next time you watch Michael Caine in “Zulu”. Or "A Bridge Too Far" or "The Eagle has landed", remember that although it is an actor, it also draws on the real and terrifying experiences of Private Maurice Joseph Micklewhite of the Royal Fusiliers during the Korean War.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:08 Maurice Micklewhite
1:37 National service
3:24 Korean War
17:47 Caine travels to Korea
7:52 Caine faces Chinese attack
9:42 a.m. on patrol
12:12 Demobilization
1:20 p.m. A hill in Korea
13:54 Korea – A forgotten war
4:14 p.m. Conclusion
16:32 The type of story
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My name is Chris Green and I love sharing stories from British history. Not only because they are interesting, but also because they have shaped, good or bad, the world we live in today.
The story doesn't have to be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings and queens.
So, rather than conferences or YouTube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My goal is to chat as if I were having coffee or a meal with you. Jean, from Maryland, USA, recently wrote: /"Chris is the history teacher I wish I had at school!/"
For the record, I have a History degree in Medieval and Early Modern History from the University of Birmingham.
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