Sir Michael Caine

Maurice Micklewhite (AKA Sir Michael Caine)
Born: 14 March 1933
Service No: 22486574

Sir Michael Caine began his National Service with the British Army on 28 April 1952. A year into his National Service, Caine was given the option of either completing two further years standard National Service or completing only one year of Active Service in Korea. Caine chose to do the latter and set sail from Liverpool to the East Asian Theatre on the Empire Halladale. When he reached East Asia, he was based at Kure, the Southern Japanese mainland, for training. As part of the 1st Battalion of Royal Fusiliers, A Platoon, C Company, Caine was sent to the front line of the conflict - the 38th Parallel.



In an interview with the Daily Mail in 1987, Caine recounted some of his experiences while serving in the Korean war:

“...attack after attack, you would find their bodies in groups of four”-commenting on the human wave tactics employed by the enemy, which often involved groups of soldiers sharing a single weapon.

“We heard them talking and we knew they had sussed us…Our officer shouted run and by chance we ran towards the Chinese. Which is what saved us; in the dark we lost each other”. Explaining how while on patrol in a paddy field, Caine and the men he was with were nearly caught by enemy forces.

Finally, Caine’s national service was concluded by marching out of the Tower of London to the regimental march while wearing demobilisation clothes.

Later, Michael Caine would draw upon his military experience in films such as A Hill in Korea, which tells the story of a group of British soldiers being cut off by Chinese forces.

Research undertaken by Research Volunteer David Ingle.