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| The armed forces have long been a breeding ground for famous people. Or so I thought, until I started researching this feature and found that after ringing round a few of the lads we only managed to come up with three famous ex-forces people. Then two more were donated from Damon 'Chalky' White. There were another two vague ones in the shape of Guy Wittingham who, apparently, plays for Portsmouth and is ex-army, and another bloke who is an Olympic Archer who served at RAF Locking around the 1990/1991 era. |
| Anyway, I've decided to put this page out and let you lot get in touch if you can think of any others. I'm absolutely convinced there must be others but I can't think of them off the top of my head. So, get thinking and then get e-mailing. As always the e-mail address is in the 'Contact Box' at the bottom of every page. |
| Lee originally joined Pompey after leaving the Army but was sold to Manchester City by Pompey’s then Chairman Terry Venables for over £3 million. After an unhappy spell which included a relegation to the Second Division Lee rejoined Venables at Crystal Palace. With Palace in Administration during last season Pompey were able to recruit their former striker for a cut-price £300,000 and he was an immediate success. Pompey fans were impressed with his commitment, high workrate and share of goals in partnership with Peter Crouch this season before Lee suffered serious knee ligament damage in a collision at Millwall early in December 2001. After major reconstructive surgery Lee faces up to a year out of the game and a long period in rehab. | 
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 Credit to Steve Parkin of Sports Photo | Nigel Benn is a Super Middleweight Superstar. His titles include former WBC Super Middleweight Champion and former WBO Middleweight Champion and he was once quoted as saying "Army training was tough but bears
no comparison with the work I do now in the gym. It's a nightmare but I really
enjoy it." In this picture we see him half way through a 'make the gobstopper last' competition. |
Kriss Akabusi
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Joined up in 1975 as a trainee data telegraphist in the Royal Signals, transferred to the Army Physical Training Corps in 1981. Three tours of duty with various infantry battalions. Discharged into the reserves with an exemplary record in 1990 as a Warrant Officer Class 2. "Warrant Officer Akabusi has been a first class ambassador for the Army and indeed the United Kingdom It is a real loss to see him leave the Army before the end of his service. He has had a thoroughly successful military career and has been credit to the Army Physical Training Corps". Army Discharge Papers, Aldershot, 11th September 1990. |  |
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Rory Underwood has been a prolific and spectacular scorer of crucial tries for England in the team’s relentless surge to the top of world rugby in recent years. He occupies a unique position in the game as Britain’s most capped player and highest ever try scorer. Twelve years in the RAF have brought him the rank of Flight Lieutenant. With Tony and Rory Underwood on either wing, England had two brothers in the same side for the first time since 1938. Rory’s interests also include swimming, golf and films. |
| Spike Milligan was born April 16, 1918 in Ahmed Nagar, India. His father was Irish Captain in the British Raj and Spike lived in India until he was fifteen. At that time, his father retired from the military and the family moved to England. He joined the British Army at the outbreak of World War Two, where he served in the Royal Artillery through the North African and Italian campaigns. In the Italian campaign, he was hospitalized for shellshock. In the 1950's he joined Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and sometimes Michael Bentine to make the groundbreaking radio comedy "The Goon Show". |  |
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Before his RAF service, he spent six months as a cartoon animator under Walt Disney's top men; meanwhile he was finding a real market for his comedy material with stars like Ted Ray and Tommy Handley. Following his 1950 television debut on Garrison Theatre, his career has never looked back. He has become one of the country's top comedians/game show comperes and his credits look like a stroll through television history. They include: For Love or Money, Candid Camera, What's My Line, Mad Movies, Quick on the Draw, Looks Familiar, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Bonkers, Wogan, Parkinson, Disney Time, The Joan Rivers Show, Live from Her Majesty's, The Des O'Connor Show, The Royal Variety Performance, Royal Gala from Edinburgh, The Golden Shot, Celebrity Squares, Bob's Full House, The Bob Monkhouse Show, Bob Says 'Opportunity Knocks', Family Fortunes, Bob's Your Uncle, $64,000 Question and The New Celebrity Squares. |