This evening (Friday 20th April 2018) on Radio4 extra at 11pm - The start of an 8 part (weekly) repeat of: BBC Radio 4 Extra - Spike Milligan - Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, Episode 1 BBC Radio 4 Extra - Spike Milligan - Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall - Episode guide Episode 1 Spike Milligan - Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall Episode 1 of 8 A new gunner is recruited for the Second World War. Spike Milligan shares memories of his wartime service. Published in 1971, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is the first volume of the Spike Milligan's idiosyncratic military memoir. Reversioned into 8 parts by BBC Radio 4 Extra.
I am a big fan of Spike and the Goon Show. It's all because of my mother's cousin who sent us Goon Show records in the 1970s when I was a child. Greenslade: Those were the last words said at peace. At that moment Germany declared war in all directions. German: Bang! Bloodnok: Bang? War! I must write me memoirs. FX: [Typewriter] Bloodnok: The day war broke, I said to Allenbrooke, "You fool, don't you realize that..."
The last episode of the current repeat of the first series is on tonight (11pm Friday 8th June 2018) on Radio4 Extra / Iplayer BBC Radio 4 Extra - Spike Milligan - Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, Episode 8 Episode 8 Spike Milligan - Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall Episode 8 of 8 1943: Spike witnesses the bombing of Liverpool. The troops endure a troublesome sea journey, and arrive in Algiers. Spike Milligan shares more memories of his wartime service. Published in 1971, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is the first volume of the Spike Milligan's idiosyncratic military memoir. Reversioned into 8-parts by BBC Radio 4 Extra.
My Dad used to listen to the Goon Show all the time. He adored Spike Milligan. "He's fallen in the water!"
This is told with some variations, but... It was in North Africa, during WWII, as Gunner Milligan, 954024, that Spike first met Harry Secombe. The circumstances of their meeting were only narrowly non-fatal. Milligan's 25-pounder gun jumped out of its placement due to recoil, and ran down the hill narrowly missing another gun unit. Spike went down the hill and asked, "Has anyone seen a gun?" One of the men in the other gun unit said, "What colour?" It was Harry Secombe. http://www.telegoons.org/Bios/Bio_SM.htm
"How do I get out?" Eccles "You turn the knob on your side!" Bluebottle "I haven't got a knob on my side" Eccles "What are you doing there?" Bluebottle "Everybody got to be somewhere" Eccles Classic. Cheers Kevin
The Grovelling little bastard. Spike Milligan: 'The little grovelling bastard', Briitsh Comedy Awards - 1994 Graham.
Seagoon was a Gunner in 132 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery In 78 Division. Steve EDIT TO ADD And for our older readers..... 2 of my favourite “military” theme episodes are - Ill Met By Goonlight - a skit of Dirk Bogarde film Ill Met By Moonlight The Goon Show Site - Script - Ill met by Goonlight (Series 7, Episode 23) and Seagoon MCC The Goon Show Site - Script - The Man Who the War (Series 6, Episode 1)
"We Have Ways of Making You Talk" podcast (30 mins) Spike Milligan and the Italian Campaign Spike Milligan and the Italian Campaign
I have heard this story from Harry Secombe himself. I had a friend whose Mum played opposite him as principal boy in panto at the Palace Theatre Manchester. Harry was Buttons We used to get back stage. The gun was not a 25 pounder - in fact it wasn't really a gun but a 7.2 inch heavy howitzer and part of the recoil system was a pair of curved ramps placed behind the wheels so that it ran back up them and then gravity returned it to position. If the the charge was a little too powerful it could reach the end of the curved ramp and keep on going
Always liked the part where the narrator takes us to a secret government anti spon research station. One can hear research scientists Bluebottle and Eccles at work. Seagoon's voiice over says listen, that's the sound of the best brains low wages can buy. Saddly I visited a number of government MOD establishments in the 70s and 80s where that was all too true.
Thanks for the link, Tullybrone - I'd forgotten all about The Goons: SEAGOON: Major, you're not thinking of surrender? BLOODNOK: What? A Bloodnok never surrenders. I never get near enough. See also my war biography 'A Bloodnok Never Surrenders' by Major Dennis Bloodnok P.O.W.
Bloodnok ' Take my uniform to the cleaners' 'Yes Sahib but there is a small deposit' 'Oh it'll brush off'