Sanjeev Bhaskar reads Spike Milligan's hilarious letter home during WWII

During World War II, Spike Milligan famously served as a signalman with the Royal Artillery. He wrote home often, and in September 1943, secretly stationed in Italy, he sent the following letter to his family.

Sanjeev Bhaskar joined us at the Letters Live 10th anniversary show in November 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall in London to read it.

© Spike Milligan Productions, 1978

[oldfatbastad]

"the bloody germans know where it is" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
the king lives on 😁

[TheByard]

My mother was Spikes housekeeper for a while, she called it a long while, but most of the while she was looking for Spike. He would leave a note in the hallway telling mum he was in the kitchen and in there would be another note saying he'd left for the drawing room. The notes would continue around the house. So, mum sorted out the problem the next morning, after letting herself into the house, she let out a yell at the top of her voice. Spike where the bloody hell are

[pennyjaquet]

Sanjeev Bhaskar read this so well, Spike would have been proud!

[marialea]

Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. Genius.❤

[casim]

"Standing in a hole on sentry duty, bored, so I tried counting my nose". Surreal genius.

[ddraigmafon]

When my late father was in hospital following a near fatal asthma attack, he asked for his copy of Puckoon but the nurses took it off him because he was laughing so hard that it was affecting his breathing!

[nikiTricoteuse]

I was sitting in a pizzeria in Capri sometime in the 1980s and, to my great joy noticed a gorgeous plaque on the wall stating that Spike had eaten there some time in 1943 (l can't remember exactly when). I was quite stoked that he was apparently famous enough in ltaly that they would put up a plaque.

[Bluetoothedshark]

You can almost guarantee that his drill Sargent said, "I suppose you think you're some kind of comedian don't you private Milligan" or shouted it

[annettereynolds]

Lord, I miss Spike. His humour was just perfect.

[davidsirett]

having read Spike's war books i can honestly say they are the funniest thing i have ever read.
the man was a genius.

[NeilJR]

Spike’s mum lived in Woy Woy, Australia.
When he visited he said the town was so small every time he plugged in his electric toothbrush, the streetlights dimmed.
RIP Spike.

[hcrun]

This is eerie. I had genuinely just been reading the pages in Spikes fourth book ("Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall") which features this letter. I put it down, having finished my cup of coffee, walked into my study, fired up YT and there in the page of recommendations was this Letters Live feature with Sanjeev reading the letter which I'd read just minutes ago!
I was (and still am) a HUGE fan of the Goons and the three blokes who formed them. I've read all of Spikes books on his war experiences (and after) so all I can think of is that Spike somehow prodded me from across time and space and said "Now you've read it, go and listen to it!"

[hughreidable]

My brother and I met Spike in Sydney in the late 1970s. We took a few books down for him to sign. One of them wasn’t his! I don’t think he noticed. He picked up one book and said to me “what’s your name?”I said Hugh so he wrote “to Hugh.” Then I said it wasn’t my book. So he crossed it out. And gave it a score - 3/10! Hysterical.

[cheighes]

"Honey get the enigma machine out. Our boy sent us a coded letter."

[MalcolmMorrison-or]

Ahh! Spike. The greatest historian that ever lived. Thank you.

[angusmacdonald]

O Spike, you are a hero for the ages!

[blackpoolrox]

A quote I remember from one of his 'Army life' books said " It was a proud day for my parents when the Military Police dragged me out screaming from under my bed"

[maureenackerley]

I love Sanjeev, he is brilliant. love from Australia 🇦🇺 ❤

[davejardine]

Loved the Goon Show on 1950's radio. Spike with Peter Sellers, Harry Seacombe and Michael Bentine.
I can also still remember some of his daft poems:

"I must go down to the sea again,
The lonely sea and the sky,
I left my vest and socks there,
(I wonder if they're dry?)

Regarding Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square...

"It's due to pigeons that alight
on Nelson's hat that makes it white."

The man was priceless!

[scrapbagstudios]

It is a wonderfully Spike Milligan letter and Sanjeev Bhaskar reads it so well. Both the letter and the reading are brilliant.