Hollywood icon Michael Caine receives a surprise present for his 90th birthday – his Korean War medals he won 71 years ago
Hollywood icon Sir Michael Caine has received a special presentation of his combat medals for fighting on the front line in the Korean War.
A presentation box containing the medals he won 71 years ago was a surprise 90th birthday present given to the star by his wife Lady Shakira Caine last month.
Lady Shakira, 76, contacted the Royal Fusiliers – Sir Michael’s former regiment – through a friend and asked for help with ideas to celebrate the film star’s landmark birthday.
Major Mick McCarthy, the Royal Fusiliers regimental secretary, revealed Lady Shakira secretly sent her husband’s medals, service record and cap badge to the Fusiliers headquarters, where they were mounted in a presentation box.
As a thank you, she made a donation to charity and sent the association a picture of their most famous member.
Hollywood icon Sir Michael Caine (pictured) has received a special presentation of his combat medals for fighting on the front line in the Korean War
Sir Michael (second from the left, back row) was just 19 when he was called up to do his National Service in 1952
Sir Michael was just 19 when he was called up to do his National Service in 1952. Then he was called Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, and after completing his training he 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 memoir What’s It All About? how he came close to being killed in Korea when he and two men were surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy, and all three were convinced they were about to die. In that moment, however, Caine recalls he felt no fear.
He wrote that he ‘decided that whoever was going to take [their] lives were going to pay dearly’. So the three of them charged, roaring maniacally, at the enemy. Incredibly they managed to get back to British lines and lived to fight another day.
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