Sir Michael Caine: Bring back national service

Sir Michael Caine wants to bring back national service.

The 91-year-old actor — who was on active duty in the Korean War as part of his compulsory stint with the British army between 1952 and 1994 – thinks young people should have to serve their country for a period of time because it will teach them a lot and help them to “grow up”.

In an extract from his memoir ‘Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over’ obtained by Sunday Times magazine, he declared: “I would bring back national service. I don’t mean young people should go to war — nothing like that. I’d make it six months rather than two years, like it used to be. But being 18 years old and serving your country, it teaches you a lot. You grow up.”

The ‘Italian Job’ star insisted his time with the Royal Fusiliers taught him some “invaluable” lessons and made him become a man.

He wrote: “It’s pretty hard to exaggerate the impact national service had on me. Look, I’m 91 and, 70 years on, I can still remember it. I was 18 and sent to Germany as part of the occupation force in Berlin first and then it was on to Korea. It turned me from boy into a man.

“I learnt that you have to be self-reliant but also put your trust in your mates. You’re learning how to be an individual and part of a group with a shared purpose; that’s invaluable.”

And Michael recalled being “bloody scared” when on active duty during the war.

He continued: “I was just an ordinary private soldier, one of 500 others. We had to get up every night and fight the Chinese army — the Chinese government had sent half a million troops to help North Korea. It was a bugger.

“I remember one night me and six other guys were out on patrol in the Samichon Valley, right on the line between North and South Korea. And we knew the enemy were close. We were all bloody scared of course.

“But we made it past them, then headed back. We all got bitten by the bleeding mosquitoes but that was better than being shot by the Chinese.”