Spike Milligan

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Spike Milligan KBE April 16 1918 February 27 2002 was a comedian writer musician poet playwright soldier and actor His early life was spent in India where he was born but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the British government declared him stateless He was the cocreator main writer and a principal cast member of The Goon Show performing a range of roles including the popular Eccles Milligan wrote and edited many books including Puckoon and his sevenvolume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War beginning with Adolf Hitler My part in his downfall He is also noted as a popular writer of comical verse much of his poetry was written for children including Silly Verse for Kids 1959 After success with the groundbreaking British radio programme The Goon Show Milligan translated this success to television with Q5 a surreal sketch show which is credited as a major influence on the members of Monty Pythons Flying Circus