Sergeant William (Bill) Speakman VC (1927-2018), 2017 (c)

Print on giglee paper after oil paintings painted posthumously by Paul Phillips from photographs, 2020.

Aged just 17 and a half,

William (or Bill) Speakman was underage when he joined the Army in 1945. He was serving in the 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in defence of Hill 217, during the Korean War. Speakman was the first Victoria Cross recipient to be invested by HRH Queen Elizabeth II. He was a Pensioner at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, from 2015 until his death in 2018.