Actors, Politicians, and Celebrities

Discussion in 'General' started by morse1001, Mar 24, 2006.

  1. Juha

    Juha Junior Member

    On Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, besides Wiki also his obituary in The Independent mentions his rise from private to Brigadier during the WWII. See:
    Sir Fitzroy Maclean Bt: Obituary
     
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  2. Browno

    Browno Fake news challenger

    Maclean's progress from Foreign Office to private in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders at Cameron Barracks in Inverness is contained within his autobiography Eastern Approaches:

    "The processes of medical examination and enlistment took their usual somewhat lengthy course. What to me was the beginning of a new phase in my life was, to the clerks and doctors who took my particulars, so much dreary routine. After swearing the Oath and filling in a number of forms, I was given the King’s Shilling and a railway warrant to Inverness.
    I was a Private in the Cameron Highlanders, my father’s old regiment.
    I arrived at Inverness with a batch of several hundred other new recruits, for the most part nineteen-year-old youths from Glasgow. It was cold and grey and drizzling. In moist, undecided groups, we hung about the barrack square, our hands in the pockets of our civilian suits.
    Then, suddenly, we were pounced on by half a dozen N.C.O.s And given numbers. And divided up into squads. And herded into bleak-looking barrack-rooms named after battles in the Peninsular War: Salamanca, Corunna and Ciudad Rodriguez.
    And issued with things: boot brushes, tooth brushes, knife, fork, spoon, blankets, boots, overalls (denim), bonnets (Balmoral). And told not to —ing lose them. And told to look out and look sharp and hurry up, and use our —ing initiative.
    And given mops and pails and scrubbing brushes and told to —ing scrub the —ing floor.
    My military career had begun."
     
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  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    As a belated follow-up, the Austrian civilian mentioned in that article, the chap who substantiates Bogarde's claim to have been at Belsen, has had his interview uploaded at the IWM (Reel 8):

    Kodin, Andrey (IWM interview)
     
  4. DunkirkDude

    DunkirkDude Member

    A list of famous people who served in WW2. You may add more in comments

    George H.W Bush - Navy pilot best known for being shot down over Chichi Jima and almost dying on that day. He survived on a life boat for several hours and was later rescued by a ship. No doubt one of the closest brushes with death!

    John Glenn - Served as a pilot before becoming an astronaut. Also served in Korea where he was known for taking lots of shots and still landing.

    Mel Brooks - The famous comedian and actor served in the 78th Division and he job was to defuse land mines

    Murray Walker - The legendary racing commentator served as a tank commander. Not much is known about his service

    Also want to give a honorable mention to a not as well known person. His name is Marcel Marceau and he joined the French Resistance after a cousin Georges Loinger urged him to do so. Marcel entertained children with his mime acts and helped them cross the border to Switzerland. According to Georges "The kids loved Marcel and felt safe with him". He also pretended to be a soldier and made an entire German army surrender. His entertaining skills had saved the lives of around 75 children. His cousin Georges saved around 90 children I believe.
     
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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  6. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    These photos of Jimmy Stewart, the first taken in 1942 and the second in 1944, are a study of the effects of stress.

    He was the real deal with 20 verified sorties that later led to his PTSD.

    stewart.jpg
     
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  7. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    How about Tony Rolt, a well known British race car driver, , winning the 24h of Le Mans, together with Duncan Hamilton in 1953.

    Tony was a POW in Colditz and involved with making the para glider.

    Stefan.
     
  8. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    threads merged
     
  9. DunkirkDude

    DunkirkDude Member

    Tony Rolt also is the last survivor of the 1950 British GP. Not the 1950 F1 Season as Robert Manzon outlived him by quite a while. Manzon himself served in WW2 but his wikipedia page doesnt state the details of his service
     
  10. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I am surprised that no one has mentioned Bill Travers. 4/9th Gurkha Rifles and Chindit, served with Morris Force.

    Bill Travers - Wikipedia
     
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  11. DunkirkDude

    DunkirkDude Member

    Kirk Douglas enlisted in the Navy but was discharged after getting badly injured when a depth charge got dropped accidentally near him
     
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  12. DunkirkDude

    DunkirkDude Member

    Jaguar's test driver Norman Dewis served in the RAF as a gunner.
     
  13. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Angus Wallace has an interview with the author of a new book about Jimmy Stewart in the war. I did not know that his was a very military family - one of his grandfathers a sergeant in the Civil War, and the other a general who did key stuff at Gettysburg. His father served in WW1 as well.

    http://ww2podcast.com/category/ww2-podcast/
     
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  14. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've only browsed it, but I just received a copy of the late Sir Michael Hordern CBE's autobiography, A World Elsewhere.

    The whole of Chapter 4 covers his time during the war. He volunteered first for 'Heavy Rescue' in the ARP in Bristol, but when this amounted to nothing (no bombs early on), he joined the Navy. He was not immediately required and was allowed to defer his service and return to acting until 1941, whence he commenced training. He volunteered as a DEMS gunner (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship) and was posted to the City of Florence, an old 7000-ton, two-deck cargo ship. She was then carrying weapons and ammunition for Alexandria.

    He describes their attack by a 'wolf pack' of U-boats on the second night at sea as 'when he grew up'. Five ships in the convoy were sinking within the first five minutes of the engagement. Details of other voyages follow.

    Moving on, 1942 saw him begin two-and-a-half years' service on HMS Illustrious as Flight Direction Officer (he had the right voice). Within six months he was at the rank of lieutenant-commander as his boss left, and--inevitably--he ended up also fulfilling the role of Entertainments Officer. There was pressure for him to go ashore and take a training role, but this he resisted, and promotion took him to Senior Flight Direction Officer.

    His last naval posting was in the Admiralty, where he served in the department of the Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord, appointing and overseeing other Fighter Direction Officers.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2019
  15. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

  16. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    I always think about his Chevy powered BMW when I see him in uniform. His was probably a 283 ci but might have been a 265.
    Ursula Andress had a Ford 289 in hers

    Elvis’s BMW 507 returns home
     
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  17. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Denis Shaw, A Squadron, 23rd Hussars.

    Here playing Priem in 'The Colditz Story':

    Shaw.jpg
     
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  18. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

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  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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  20. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Just watched this on Public Broadcasting TV. That's the government funded station here in the states. Excellent.
    I can't find a free version on youtube. Highly recommend it if you come across it anywhere.

    Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner are in the trailer.

     
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