Spike Milligan Biography

Fast Facts

• Despite serving in the British Army for 6 years, he was never given British citizenship because he was born in India and refused to swear the Oath of Allegiance; he instead became an Irish citizen
• While doing his military service he wrote and performed comedy sketches as part of concerts to entertain troops
• Was injured by a mortar in 1940 and suffered from shell shock
• As a staunch environmentalist, he attacked an art exhibition that was going to electrocute fish in 1971
• Was made an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992
• Was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 1994
• Was made an honorary Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2000
• Wanted to have "I told you I was ill" on his gravestone but the local diocese would not allow it, so he had the Irish translation of it instead