Film Stars in Military History
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Film Stars in Military History
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.
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.
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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
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
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
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
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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/ar...ies-at-96.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/ar...ies-at-96.html
Richard Todd was an Army Captain? at the D-Day invasion
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.
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Anthony Quayle. He was an officer in the army. He served with the Yugoslav partisans in WWII.
Phil.
Last edited by philrigger; 8th Dec 2011 at 11:26. Reason: Spelling.
Russ Conway, the British pianist, served in the navy and was awarded the DSM for bravery.
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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."
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."
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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.........
Sinatra
How many other movie 'heroes' avoided serving for their country?
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 ("Registrant not acceptable for military service") for a perforated eardrum by his draft board. Additionally, an FBI 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][31] Active-duty servicemen, like journalist 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] His exemption would resurface throughout his life and cause him grief when he had to defend himself.[30][33] There were accusations, including some from noted columnist Walter Winchell,[34] that Sinatra paid $40,000 to avoid the service – but the FBI found no evidence of this.[31][35]
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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.
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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.