Hollywood icon Michael Caine receives a surprise gift for his 90th birthday – his Korean War medals, which he won 71 years ago.
Hollywood icon Sir Michael Caine received a special presentation of his combat medals for fighting on the front line in the Korean War.
The presentation box containing the medals he won 71 years ago was a surprise 90th birthday gift from his wife, Lady Shakira Kane, last month.
Ms. Shakira, 76, contacted the Royal Voguelaires – Sir Michael’s former regiment – through a friend and asked for help with ideas to celebrate the historic movie star’s birthday.
Major Mick McCarthy, secretary of the Royal Fusiliers Regiment, revealed that Lady Shakira secretly sent her husband’s medals, service record and cap badge to Fusiliers’ headquarters, where they were mounted in a display case.
Thank you I made a donation to a charity and sent the association a photo of the most popular member.
Hollywood icon Sir Michael Caine (pictured) received a special presentation of his combat medals for fighting on the front line in the Korean War
Sir Michael (second row back left) was just 19 when he was called up for National Service in 1952
Sir Michael was nineteen when he was called up for National Service in 1952. He was then given the name Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, and on completion of his training was posted to Germany as a member of the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers. Within a few months, he was sent to Korea.
Sir Michael later wrote in his memoirs What Is It All About? How he was nearly killed in Korea when he and two men were surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy, and all three were convinced they were on the verge of death. But at that moment, Kane remembers, he didn’t feel afraid.
He wrote that he had “determined that all those whom he would take (their lives) would pay a heavy price”. The three attacked the enemy, roaring madly. Incredibly, they made it back to the British lines and lived to fight another day.
