Film Stars in Military History

[Capetonian]

Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated
A British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.


James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek)
Landed in Normandy with the U S.Army on D-Day.


Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. Pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.


David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and
Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy ..


James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force
As a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel.
During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber
Pilot, his service record crediting him with leading
More than 20 missions over Germany , and
Taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty.
Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying
Cross, France's Croix de Guerre,and 7 BattleStars during World War II.
In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active
Member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching
The rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s


Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out)
Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the
U.S. Entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as
A private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles.
He attended the Officers' CandidateSchool at
Miami Beach , Fla.and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942 .
He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943
He was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook
Where he flew operational missions over Europein B-17s.
Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. In Oct. 1943 and was relieved
From active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his
Own request, since he was over-age for combat.


Charlton Heston was an Army
Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.


Ernest Borgnine was a U. S.
Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.


Charles Durning was a U. S.
Army Ranger at Normandy
Earning a Silver Star and awarded the Purple Heart.


Charles Bronson was a tail gunner
In the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29's in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan


George C. Scott was
A decorated U. S.Marine.


Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV)
Was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S.Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the
Islandof Tarawain the Pacific Nov. 1943.


Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the
Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.


Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was
Wounded earning the Purple Heart.


John Russell: In 1942, he
Enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal ..


Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine
Who served with the O. S. S. In Yugoslavia .


Tyrone Power (an established
Movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.



Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound
Guy from Texas who played cowboy parts :
Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.

[chiglet]

Richard Todd was an Army Captain? at the D-Day invasion

[Noyade]

Hollywood and WWII....

New Page 1 (http://www.angelfire.com/my/mighty8thlh/hwood.html)

[Rollingthunder]

Flt. Lt. Donald Pleasance, Royal Air Force

Before trying to calm Michael Myers down or escaping from a POW camp in The Great Escape, Donald Pleasance was actually in a German POW camp. He flew in WWII with the 166 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, and was captured after being shot down. Interestingly, he reportedly produced plays while imprisoned. There’s no word on whether he dealt with a masked psycho killer in real life, though.

Lt. Alan Alda, US Army Reserve


It’s impossible to think of Alan Alda without thinking of “M.A.S.H.” After a decade of being on a show that produced the single largest viewing audience of all time, it’s easy to see why he was a bit typecast. However, he joined the cast of the show with a bit of his own real life experience serving as a gunnery officer in Korea after the Korean War.

Col. Frank Capra, US Army


Before making It’s a Wonderful Life, Capra joined the Army and taught during WWI. He would go on to start building an unbelievable career in film which included You Can’t Take it With You, It Happened One Night, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and even after massive success, he would return for WWII. He used his expertise to create educational films for the War Department (including what some believe is a masterpiece of propaganda filmmaking) with the next entry on the list.

Lt. Col. Dr. Seuss, US Army

If you got a chance to read my write up of The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss (or were fortunate enough to see it yourself) then you already know that Theodor Geisel joined the Army and worked with Capra’s First Motion Picture Unit. There, he made educational cartoons featuring a bumbling private named Snafu and, like Capra, directed propaganda films. So, yes, it’s safe to assume that the Cat in the Hat was anti-Hitler.



HM Bill Cosby, US Navy


The man who gave us advice, made kids say the darndest things, and sold us pudding was also a Navy Hospital Corpsman. He worked with soldiers, marines and airmen severely injured in the Korean War. That’s right everyone. Ghost Dad was in the military.

Humphrey Bogart, US Navy

Not only was Bogart in the Navy, he may owe his entire career to it. The stories are not exactly clear, but several different accounts tell of how the actor was injured doing his duty in such a way that left him with a scar you might recognize and a lisp that developed. Of course, like most things with Bogart, that could all be tall tales, but his military service isn’t.

Airman Chuck Norris, US Air Force

It may or may not be true that, at one time, Chuck Norris was the U.S. Air Force.

Lt. Col. David Niven, British Army

David Niven was terrible at being in the military during peace time. He was insubordinate, got arrested for it, got his guard drunk, and escaped to New York City to send a telegram back home announcing his resignation. Of course, when WWII started, he paused his budding film career to rejoin the Army, took part in the Invasion of Normandy, and eventually won the Legion of Merit – the highest honor the US bestows on foreign servicemen.



Rod Serling, US Army Air Force


The master of science fiction and creator of “The Twilight Zone” was apparently so eager to get to war that he enlisted in the army the day after graduating high school. He’s another example of a talent that was born from serving – citing that his time fighting in WWII (and earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star) made him turn to writing.

Audrey Hepburn, Dutch Resistance


Hepburn wasn’t in the military, so I’m cheating here, but I couldn’t leave her off the list because 1) she raised money for the Dutch Resistance in WWII by performing ballet routines 2) was a volunteer nurse in a Dutch hospital which received many Allied wounded and 3) it was getting a little dude-centric in here.

Sean Connery, Royal Navy

Bond, James Bond was not only in the Navy, but he enlisted when he was 16 years old and spent 3 years of service right after WWII.

Lt. James Doohan, Royal Canadian Army

What you may not know about the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise is that before he beamed anyone up, he was a complete bad ass. After joining the Army, his first mission was the D-Day invasion of Normandy and was shot six times by a machine gun (and saved by a silver cigarette case). He then trained as a pilot and went on to be called “the craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Forces.” I have no idea how one earns that nickname, but it’s clear that Doohan’s service was impressive – crazy or not.



Clint Eastwood, US Army

Like many men his age after WWII, Eastwood was drafted into the Army. Luckily for him, it was a major turning point in his life. He taught life-saving at Fort Ord where he encountered several film stars who convinced him to move to Los Angeles and become an actor. It was Chuck Hill, a man stationed at Fort Ord with Eastwood that would later introduce him to contacts at Universal.

Don Knotts, US Army

So you might have heard that Don Knotts was a hard ass drill sergeant in the marines, but that’s just an urban legend. In truth, Knotts was drafted into the Army in 1943, but he never fought. Instead, the military saw fit to use his special talents by having him entertain troops throughout the Pacific.

Lt. Alec Guinness, Royal Navy

There was no way I’d include someone from “Star Trek” without including someone from Star Wars. I couldn’t afford the fines. Fortunately, Obi-Wan himself was an officer in the Royal Navy during WWII. Before becoming obsessed with building a bridge on the river Kwai and becoming a Jedi Master, he commanded a vessel which took part in the invasion Sicily and Elba island.

Jack Palance, US Army Air Force


Modern audiences remember him as Curly but film fans know him as the scariest-looking villain to ever grace a Western. Unfortunately, that iconic, rugged look came from a tragic crash Palance was involved in while training with a B-24 Liberator. He was discharged in 1944, and would later head out to try his luck in show business. Luckily, he’d already changed his name from Vladamir Palahniuk to Jack Palance years before which undoubtedly helped his casting chances.



Michael Caine, British Army

After a giant career, Michael Caine has burst back into the mainstream spotlight helping out Batman, but before all of that, he served from 1952-1954, seeing active duty in Korea with the Royal Fusiliers.

Lt. Kirk Douglas, US Navy

The man who would later appear in Kubrick’s anti-war Paths of Glory (and, of course, The Final Countdown) was in the Navy during WWII. Douglas was with an anti-submarine patrol in the Pacific but was injured in 1944 and subsequently discharged. Of course, almost immediately after, he caught a big break in his acting career that would make him one of the best known stars of that generation.

Lt. Gene Kelly, US Navy

It’s hard to imagine the all-singing, all-dancing Gene Kelly storming the beaches of Normandy, which is good, because he didn’t. However, he did serve his country proudly by joining the Navy and writing/directing several documentaries while based in Washington, DC.

Cpl. Mel Brooks, US Army

This is the most surprising name on the list. Mel Brooks is the consummate comedian, a man who has made millions laugh with some of the funniest films ever made. But before writing “Springtime for Hitler,” he was in the Army during WWII. He joined up at 17 and was set to work defusing landmines. Later, he would fight in the famous Battle of the Bulge.

Editor’s Note: There are a ton of movie stars and directors who served in the military (including even more who served their home countries while building a career in Hollywood). For a fairly extensive list, go here. And be sure to celebrate war films by reading our Boots on the Ground entries

[Old-Duffer]

Slight Thread Drift.

Russ Conway, the British pianist, served in the navy and was awarded the DSM for bravery.

Kenneth Wolstenholme (football commentator) was a pathfinder pilot and double DFC winner.

Raymond Baxter flew Spitfires

Esmond Knight the blind film actor was wounded when HMS Prince of Wales engaged Bismarck and he later played the captain of Prince of Wales in the film 'Sink The Bismarck'.

Michael Caine served in the army in Korea.

Old Duffer

[alisoncc]

Someone earlier mentioned Alan Alda and MASH. Colonel Sherman T. Potter aka as Harry Morgan has just died.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/arts/television/harry-morgan-mash-and-dragnet-actor-dies-at-96.html

[Groundloop]

Christopher Lee was an RAF Intelligence Officer in Tunisia in WWII.

Why has nobody mentioned Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe!!!

[ancientaviator62]

And yet the person who personifies war movies, John Wayne did not serve in the Armed Forces at all I believe.

[VX275]

Richard Todd was an Army Captain? at the D-Day invasion


He was in the parachute regiment and his task was to reinforce the glider borne troops who had captured the Orne canal (Pegasus) and river (Horsa) bridges.
When he played Major Howard in the film "the longest day" he wanted the scene shot where Howard shook hands with him on D day. The scene never made the film and anyone watching gets the impression that the first reinforcements were Lord Lovats commandos.

[chevvron]

Col (?) Glenn Ford USAF; flew several tours on combat types in Viet Nam

[philrigger]

;)

Anthony Quayle. He was an officer in the army. He served with the Yugoslav partisans in WWII.



Phil.

[Tankertrashnav]

Russ Conway, the British pianist, served in the navy and was awarded the DSM for bravery.



I never knew about the DSM , O-D, do you have any info on that? I know he cut the end of one of his fingers off in a bread slicer when he was serving (didn't seem to affect his playing) but I assume the DSM was for something a bit more heroic!

[R J Kinloch]

Don Adams from Get Smart served in the USMC at Guadalcanal

[henry crun]

chevvron: Which Glenn Ford are you referring to ?

The only Glenn Ford I know as a film star was born in 1916 and served in the USN during WW2.
Wiki says his appearance in Vietnam was as follows.....
"Ford went to Vietnam in 1967 for a month's tour of duty as a location scout for combat scenes in a training film entitled Global Marine."

[pulse1]

Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe were both Lance Bombardiers in the Royal Artillery in Italy. Peter Sellers was a Corporal in the RAF and served in Burma.

[aviate1138]

Any idea how much wartime duty John Wayne or Errol Flynn did? Were they really unfit for service? How many other movie 'heroes' avoided serving for their country? ISTR Errol had an enlarged heart and was a drug addict but John Wayne was fit but didn't take up the call - although he made a lot of hero movies for the troops.........

[Noyade]

How many other movie 'heroes' avoided serving for their country?Hard to know.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3236/img254l.jpg (http://img502.imageshack.us/i/img254l.jpg/)

Earlier this year I watched for the first time, "None But the Brave" with Frank Sinatra, who also directed the movie. Anyway, seen him in a number of war movies so I thought I'd google his war record....

Sinatra did not serve in the military during World War II. On December 11, 1943, he was classified 4-F (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_1-A) ("Registrant not acceptable for military service") for a perforated eardrum by his draft board. Additionally, an FBI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation) report on Sinatra, released in 1998, showed that the doctors had also written that he was a "neurotic" and "not acceptable material from a psychiatric standpoint". This was omitted from his record to avoid "undue unpleasantness for both the selectee and the induction service".[30] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-SantopietroT-SinH-2008-29)[31] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-NewtonM-TFBIE-2003-30) Active-duty servicemen, like journalist William Manchester (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Manchester), said of Sinatra, "I think Frank Sinatra was the most hated man of World War II, much more than Hitler", because Sinatra was back home making all of that money and being shown in photographs surrounded by beautiful women.[32] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-31) His exemption would resurface throughout his life and cause him grief when he had to defend himself.[30] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-SantopietroT-SinH-2008-29)[33] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-32) There were accusations, including some from noted columnist Walter Winchell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Winchell),[34] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-33) that Sinatra paid $40,000 to avoid the service – but the FBI found no evidence of this.[31] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-NewtonM-TFBIE-2003-30)[35] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra#cite_note-34)

[evansb]

Wounded U.S. Marines booed and hissed John Wayne when he visited them in a hospital ward in Hawaii during WW.II. Wayne never served in the military.

[evansb]

Ronald Reagan, movie star and 40th President of the United States, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1937. He became a Second Lieutenant, but because of myopia (near-sightedness) he wasn't suitable for overseas service and spent the war in PR work, where he produced some 400 AAF training films. He was recommended for Major in 1944, but it was disapproved.

[evansb]

Brilliant Liverpool-born director Arthur B. Woods, (movies Q-Planes, and They Drive By Night) died flying an RAF Mosquito, colliding with a Wellington over Emsworth in 1944. A life cut short.

[Good Vibs]

We all know her as Marilyn Monroe.
She was not in the military (My Dad wished she would have been) but the photos taken of her working in the Radioplane Munitions Factory in LA were published in the WW2 magazine Yank & others.
There were many photos taken of her to be used by the US Government for the War Drive.
She actually started her career working in an aircraft factory building military aircraft, etc. during the end of the war.

[evansb]

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r68/convair640/MarilynMonroe_-_YankArmyWeekly1.jpg

[kevmusic]

Tony Bennett saw front line action in the US 63rd Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge and through the advance into Germany.

[robin]

Michael Bentine an original Goon - RAF and Intelligence

[kevmusic]

Patrick Moore - RAF navigator. Figures, really.

[McGoonagall]

Dirk Bogarde: Captain in the Intelligence Corps, served after D-Day through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany then onto the Far East.

Ballard Berkley (The Major in Fawlty Towers) was a Special Constable in London and had a part as the Engineer onboard HMS Torrin, 'In Which We Serve'. He recalled that when the Cafe de Paris was bombed, and among many others the bandleader Snakehips Johnson was killed, looters had got there before the police and had removed fingers (and presumably rings) from the corpses, gold teeth had been knocked out and the dead generally robbed.

[GeeRam]

The King of Cool, Steve McQueen, served in the USMC from 1947 to 1950.

It was the exposure to asbestos from stripping pipe-lagging on punishment duty in the USMC (as well as other asbestos exposure in early life) that is atributable to his Mesothelioma that eventually killed him at age 50.

[corsair]

Christopher Lee was an RAF Intelligence Officer in Tunisia in WWII.

Why has nobody mentioned Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe!!!

Actually Lee was in SOE too. I read somewhere, probably on PPRuNe that on one film he advised on the correct sound of a knife going into a body. One can only imagine how he gained that knowledge.

As for Spike and Harry, well now you've mentioned them.

[Warmtoast]

We shouldn't forget Jimmy Edwards.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/JimmyEdwards.jpg

He served in the RAF during World War II, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

His Dakota was shot down at Arnhem in 1944, resulting in his sustaining facial injuries requiring plastic surgery — he disguised the traces with the huge handlebar moustache that later became his trademark.

He was a member of the Guinea Pig Club.

And as mentioned elsewhere:

Few men write an interim autobiography at the age of thirty-two [Take it from Me]. But then few men have done enough by that age to justify such an act. “Professor” Jimmy Edwards is one of them.
A Master of Arts at Cambridge University, where he won a Choral Scholarship, distinguished war service with the R.A.F. (he won the D.F.C. for his gallantry in flying operations over Arnhem), starting his post-war professional career as leading comedian at the Windmill Theatre, teaming up with Joy Nichols first in Navy Mixture and then with her and Dick Bentley in the fabulous Take It From Here and finally being elected Rector of Aberdeen University where his inaugural address was justly praised by the whole Press - Jimmy Edwards has packed into a few short years successful events that would take most men a lifetime to achieve - if ever.

PS - British Pathe has a clip of him in procession at Aberdeen here:
"PROF." JIMMY NOW RECTOR - British Pathe (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29653)

[evansb]

Leslie Howard served in the Royal Army in WW.I, suffered from "shell shock" in 1916.
Starred in several WW.II films.

Killed by a German JU88 while flying as a civilian passenger on KLM/BOAC flight 777 over the Bay of Biscay in 1943.

[Dr Jekyll]

Hedy Lamarr is reputed to have invented the 'frequency hopping' concept for torpedo guidance.

[Noyade]

He managed to avoid being crushed...

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/8349/img260q.jpg (http://img600.imageshack.us/i/img260q.jpg/)

...and became a gunner on Liberators in WWII winning the DFC.

After becoming an American citizen in 1944, Sabu joined the United States Army Air Forces (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) and served as a tail gunner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_gunner) and ball turret gunner on B-24 Liberators (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-24_Liberator). He flew several dozen missions with the 370th Bomb Squadron of the 307th Bomb Group in the Pacific (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War), and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_%28U.S.%29) for his valor and bravery.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabu_Dastagir#cite_note-time-1)Sabu Dastagir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabu_Dastagir)

[DCDriver]

Jimmy Stewart flew Liberators out of Tibenham, Norfolk where he was either the base commander or similar. When I lived nearby in the '70's there were still murals painted inside various rooms under the old tower from that era. Have heard that these buildings are long gone, alas.

[GQ2]

Wasn't he a Second World War RAF bomber pilot....?

[Krakatoa]

Google says he was a Cryptographer on a Bomber unit in Europe. I recall reading he was an Air Gunner on B26's.

[tggzzz]

Hedy Lamarr is reputed to have invented the 'frequency hopping' concept for torpedo guidance. That is both true and well-documented, e.g. from 1983
IEEE Xplore - Further Notes and Anecdotes on Spread-Spectrum Origins (http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1095725)

This is the patent of which she is a co-author
Patent US2292387 - SECRET COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - Google Patents (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=2292387)

[Schiller]

Sir Michal Hordern served in the RN during WWII as a Fighter Direction officer.

[Good Vibs]

Kris Kristofferson was a US Army Helicopter Pilot during the 1960's, stationed also in Germany.
Country & Western singer & composer. Also actor in movies & TV.
Mixed among the best & famous of the film & music world.

[Noah Zark.]

The late excellent comedic actor Peter Butterworth, WW2 R.N. F.A.A. (Possibly pilot, and possibly decorated.)

[Noyade]

Closer to home...

Chips Rafferty | Australian War Memorial (http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/fiftyaustralians/39.asp)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6844/og0068.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/i/og0068.jpg/)

Bud Tingwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Tingwell)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2912/charlestingwell.gif (http://img84.imageshack.us/i/charlestingwell.gif/)

[Krakatoa]

Although not a film star, well known as a violinist and band leader, he was a pilot in Bomber Command

[ancientaviator62]

Did not Lord Olivier serve in the FAA during WW2 ?

[603DX]

Yes, Laurence Olivier was a Lieutenant RNVR and trained as a pilot in the FAA, though never saw action.

Trevor Howard was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals, airborne division, before being invalided out on medical grounds in 1943.

Ralph Richardson was a Lieutenant-Commander RNVR in the FAA as a flight controller, 1939-1944.

[xtypeman]

James Garner served in Korea awarded two Purple Hearts one from Enemy shooting and one from Friendly fire!

[Good Vibs]

If you notice in the films that James Garner has a slight limp when he walks, this due to his wounds.
Again shows that no matter what disabilities you have you can make the best of it.
Good Man!

[Cunliffe]

Just a couple of stories which I seem to remember from long ago.
Jimmy Edwards said that he was towing a glider on D-day and was one of the first across the channel. Unfortunately he got lost and had to turn back. This apparently caused chaos because he was now flying head on into the following aircraft.
True? Who knows with Jimmy.
Also John Pertwee (an early Doctor Who) was injured, presumed dead, and woke up in a mortuary. Don't know if this was in action but I hope somebody can enlighten me.
If these memories are confused I apologise since my mind does seem to play tricks lately as witness some of my earlier posts.

[rolling20]

Denholme Elliot.

Wasn't he a Second World War RAF bomber pilot....?

Denholm Elliot was a Sgt Wop/Ag with 76 Squadron. Shot down on Sept 23/24 1942

[teeteringhead]

I always thought that Jimmy Edwards was an AFC rather than a DFC ..... not sure why but I'll try and find a source which is likely to be right!

Respect anyway!

[ColinB]

Jimmy Edwards - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Edwards)

[scotbill]

Recall reading an article by Jimmy Edwards when he claimed to have spent some time flying the immortal Fairey Battle (after it had been ignominiously retired from frontline service) as a target tower.
Allegedly, one day while droning across the south of England with mind in neutral he looked up and was horrified to see an echelon of Messerschmidts perfectly positioned above him.
Before he had time to react, they peeled off - and shot hell out of the target! They then formed up, flew past while the leader saluted him. It was a crack squadron - and they considered it beneath their dignity to shoot down a Fairey Battle.
I do hope it might be true.

[air pig]

I have a picture in a book on B52s of Jimmy Stewart, stepping out after a sortie over North Vietnam as a Brigader General in the USAF reserve .

[fl610]

Mr. Stewart Goes to Vietnam (http://www.historynet.com/mr-stewart-goes-to-vietnam.htm)

[Wander00]

Just searched out my copy of "Huston we Have a Problem", the fascinating autobiography of Ossie Morris, the very distinguished Director of Photography - he won a DFC for bomber ops with 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, and an AFC for transort ops later in the war. I had the great privilege and pleasure of knowing him in my teens, and when last I heard a few years ago, he was still teaching film studies students at Bournemouth University - in his 80s

[Noyade]

I read in a local flyer today that the Man in Black once wore Blue.

Johnny Cash - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash)

Cash enlisted in the United States Air Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force) on July 7, 1950.[42] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash#cite_note-41) After basic training (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_training) at Lackland Air Force Base (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lackland_Air_Force_Base) and technical training at Brooks Air Force Base (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Air_Force_Base), both in San Antonio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio), Texas, Cash was assigned to a U.S. Air Force Security Service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Air_Force_Security_Service) unit, assigned as a Morse Code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_Code) Intercept Operator for Soviet Army (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Army) transmissions at Landsberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsberg_am_Lech), Germany "where he created his first band named The Landsberg Barbarians."[43] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash#cite_note-42) He was the first radio operator to pick up the news of the death of Joseph Stalin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin).[44] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash#cite_note-43)
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1276/img293w.jpg (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/img293w.jpg/)

[Hipper]

Jon Pertwee served in the RN on HMS Troutbridge.

Will Hay served with the RNVR in WW2, teaching navigation and astronomy - he was a noted astronomer.

[Hipper]

.... and Charles Laughton served in the army in WW1.

The Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalions (http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/C%20L%201%20Home%20Page.htm)

[robin]

Jon Pertwee served in the RN on HMS Troutbridge.

As indeed did Leslie Phillips and Ronnie Barker.......:rolleyes:

[Hipper]

The whole crew of Troutbridge sail tomorrow (Friday) at 1200 hrs and 1900 hrs on BBC Radio 4 extra.

[Noyade]

Christopher Lee was an RAF Intelligence Officer in Tunisia in WWII.One of my favourite actors and very versatile, but I did not know that he could sing...

:)

Christopher Lee Sings! - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9MuEA2eF8c&feature=youtu.be)

[teeteringhead]

My apologies to "Professor" Jimmy Edwards - it was a DFC (sorry, don't trust Wikipaedia!) for which I found the details .....

"Professor" Jimmy Edwards managed to avoid the flak in KG444 and cleared the Arnhem area on his way back to base. He told his wireless operator, Bill Randall, to get the sandwiches and coffee flask then suddenly there was a tremendous noise and the aircraft shook violently. Jim thought that they had been hit by flak but looking out of his window he saw the ugly snout and yellow spinners of an FW190, who proceeded to rake them again. The engines suddenly went into fine pitch - Jim gave the order to bail out, which second pilot Alan Clarke and navigator Harry Sorensen promptly obeyed. Then Jim collected his parachute, put the automatic pilot in and raced down the aircraft to bale out through the open door. But lying near the door were the four air despatchers and Jim yelled "Why haven't you jumped." "Can't, sir" came the reply, "all wounded in the legs". So throwing his chute down, Jim went back to the cockpit but he couldn't see through the windscreen which was now covered in black soot and oil. So he knocked out the escape exit in the roof and by standing in the seat with his head in the slip stream he brought the aircraft down into a small wood where the small saplings broke his speed without breaking the aircraft up. As he landed the nose dug in and catapulted Jim out of the top hatch and on to the ground where he was joined by Bill Randall who had also stayed on board. Jim said that they felt very vulnerable lying there in the yellow Mae Wests but as the Fokker came in for the kill, he ran out of ammunition for only three rounds were fired. Jim had many burns to his face and ears, his ears shrivelled like cockleshells (the reason he wore his hair long to hide them) and for his brave action Jim received the DFC. The greatest disappointment of this gallant sacrifice by our aircrews who flew these suicidal missions for four days on the trot, was that less than 20% were received by the paras on the ground for there was no radio communication to tell our pilots that the DZs had been captured.

...even more respect!

[Topspotter]

Its a matter of historical fact that John Wayne actually went to a great deal of trouble to avoid military service.

John Pertwee was very fortunate in that as a crew member on HMS Hood he was transferred shortly before Hood left Scapa Flow to intercept Bismark in May 1941

[Rabies]

He was in SOE and did his fair share of knife work. He advised Peter Jackson exhaustively about the exact sounds of being stabbed in the back. there is even a short doco on it. Sir Christopher read Lord of the Rings once every year. Beats my paltry 65 times, as he died aged 93.

[Lou Scannon]

Patrick Troughton (later-Dr Who) served with distiction on MTB's known to the RN as "the Death or Glory Boys!"

His skipper, on MTB 603 (Where my cousin Roy Cherry DSM was radar) was Lt Lightoller DSC the son of the surviving senior officer on the Titanic.

[teeteringhead]

Lt Lightoller DSC the son of the surviving senior officer on the Titanic. Lightoller Snr also did his bit; he sailed one of the "little ships" - his own - to Dunkirk.

Titanic and Dunkirk! Respect Sir.