Humorist, born in Ahmadnagar, W India. A singer and trumpeter, he made his radio debut in Opportunity Knocks (1949), and co-wrote and performed in The Goon Show (1951–9). His unique perspective on the world, allied to an irrepressible sense of the ridiculous, has been expressed in all the artistic media and has left an indelible influence on British humour. As well as numerous stage and television appearances, and small roles in feature films, he published a variety of children’s books, poetry, and comic novels including Puckoon (1963), Adolf Hitler, My Part in His Downfall (1971), and Black Beauty: According to Spike Milligan (1996). He wrote two volumes of autobiography, Where Have All the Bullets Gone? (1985) and Peacework (1991). He was awarded an honorary knighthood in 2001.