WHEN he was a schoolboy, Bill Speakman was told he would never make a soldier.

Not only did the Altrincham born hero prove the doubters wrong, he went on to become one of an elite band of men to be awarded the military's highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross.

In fact, his exploits during the Korean War are the stuff of Hollywood, and his is the story of unflinching courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

The date was November 4, 1951, and the hill being held by the unit he was attached to, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, was being overrun by marauding Chinese troops.

Bill got together a party of six men and led a series of grenade charges against the enemy, who were subjecting him and his comrades to a relentless barrage of machine gun and mortar fire.

He carried on fighting even after being severely wounded in the leg and managed to drive back the Chinese troops to allow his comrades to withdraw.

It was later revealed that during the battle in Jamestown, Bill was reduced to hurling beer bottles at his adversaries, because the supply of hand grenades had run out. He was later christened 'The Beer Bottle VC'.

Bill returned home to a hero's welcome in Altrincham on January 30, 1952. Thousands of locals thronged the streets to see the 24 year old serviceman driven around the town in the Mayor's open carriage.

A month later Private Speakman, a member of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive the VC from the Queen.

After distinguishing himself in Korea, Bill transferred to the King's Own Scottish Borderers. He was promoted to lance corporal while serving in Malaya and also found himself posted to Aden.

But for him, the word "hero" hung like a millstone around his neck. As his first wife, Rachel, once put it: "Bill hated being a hero, and he didn't want the VC".

In 1967 he was convicted of stealing in Edinburgh but, after repaying the money in full, he was given an absolute discharge. He was briefly posted to Germany and was later discharged from the army after more than 20 years service.

Bill was born on September 21, 1927 and educated at Oakfield Road Infants School and Wellington Road Secondary School in Timperley.

Like the rest of his generation, his schooling ceased at the age of 14 and his first experience of 'military' life was as a drummer boy with the Altrincham and Hale Army Cadets.

While he hated the 'hero' tag, he certainly looked the part, standing six feet seven inches tall which led his stepmother to christen him Big Bill.

Like many former servicemen, Bill found it hard re-adjusting to civilian life. He didn't return to his native north but settled in a village near St Ives in Cornwall, before moving to Huntingdonshire. Bill sold his medals for £1,500 to pay for repairs to his house and then moved with his wife and six children to Torquay, where he obtained a job on the cruise liners that sailed between Southampton and Durban, South Africa.

Bill and Rachel were unable to sort out their marital problems and in June 1972, the couple divorced. Armed with a new name, William Speakman-Pitt, he started a new life in Durban where he got a job as a senior security officer and also re-married.

On July 11, 1982, Bill severed the final link with his past when his Victoria Cross was auctioned at Sotheby's in London. A private collector snapped it up for £20,000.

* Do you remember Bill Speakman? Write with any details or memories to Rick Bowen, SAM, 25 Ashton Lane, Sale, M33 6TP.