Spike Milligan

"Terence Milligan was in fact born on 16th April 1918 and was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Poona, where his father was serving in the British Army. In 1933 the family moved to England and young Milligan attended London Polytechnic in Lewisham. Within months of the outbreak of World War ll Spike volunteered for active service and joined the 56 Heavy Artillery. He survived the successful campaign in North Africa but was wounded at Salerno in Italy during an assault on Monte Cassino in January 1944, and also suffered severe shellshock. No longer suitable for active service, Milligan, on his recovery was transferred to the Army Welfare's General Pool of Artists. He was a musician and played in the Bill Hall Trio and it was here that he met Leading Bombardier Harry Secombe who at that time was doing a comedy act, and the two became firm friends.

After the war Milligan decided to go solo but apart from getting the occasional engagement he was unable to make a major breakthrough as a jazz musician. In order to support himself Milligan worked behind the bar at Jimmy Grafton's pub in Victoria, London. The Grafton Arms has often been described as a 'hotbed of eager ex-Forces writing and performing talent' and Grafton himself was employed as a scriptwriter for comedian Derek Roy's radio show. Milligan began to contribute bits and pieces for the show including a number of sketches that he himself described as "way out things which were consistently cut out." However, the rejected items appealed to Harry Secombe and he in turn brought them to the attention of two other Grafton Arms frequenters, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine. Together with Milligan they wrote a series of sketches which they offered to the BBC. On May 28th 1951 they broadcast their first series of shows under the title of The Crazy People."

Find out more about Spike Milligna ( the famous typing error) HERE.

Spike Milligan - Wiry Twerp

Spike Milligan - I'm Going Out With A Mountain

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