Actors, Politicians, and Celebrities

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

  1. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Anthony Quayle was the IO for the Aux Units in Northumberland and later served in Albania with SOE.

    Rene Dussaq - a famous stuntamn served with the OSS in France and later photographed the Atomic explosions

    Peter Ortiz a highly decorated Marine served with the OSS in France and went on to star alongside John Wayne in some John Ford Westerns

    Sterling Hayden served in the Balkans with the OSS

    Also some of the Movie industry 'Back room boys' used their skills for the camouflage section of SOE devising hiding places for equipment, explosives etc.
     
  2. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

    1. Christopher Lee [​IMG]Nationality: British
    Branch: Royal Air Force
    Occupation: Intelligence Officer
    Rank: Flight Lieutenant

    Lee volunteered to fight with Finish forces at the outbreak of the Finish-Russian war in 1940, before joining the RAF and serving in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
     
  3. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

    . Denholm Elliott [​IMG]Nationality: British
    Branch: Royal Air Force
    Occupation: Radioman and Navigator

    Whilst serving in Bomber Command, Denholm was shot down over Denmark in 1942 and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
     
  4. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

    . Alec Guinness [​IMG]Nationality: British
    Branch: Royal Navy
    Occupation: Landing Craftsman

    Guinness was part of the allied amphibious landings at Sicily and Elba, before becoming involved with the ferrying of supplies to Yugoslavian rebels in the latter stage of the war.
     
  5. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

    Dirk Bogarde [​IMG]Nationality: British
    Branch: British Army
    Occupation: Intelligence Office
    Rank: Major

    Dirk served in both the Pacific and European theatres of war. Was involved in the liberation of the Belsen death camp and allegedly developed a severe hatred for German citizens from this point forward for the rest of his life.
     
  6. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

  7. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

  8. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  10. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Clark Gable (allegedly Hitlers favourite American star) - Tail gunner in B17's.

    I don't think this is correct, Adam. He said he wanted to be an enlisted gunner but he became an office making training films. He would have been in his forties when the US got into the war.
     
  11. La-de-da-Gunner Graham

    La-de-da-Gunner Graham Senior Member

    According to The Mighty Eighth (Roger Freeman) Gable served "with 351st Bomb Group on special assignment to make a training film about aerial gunners, May to September 1943. In the course of this duty he flew five combat missions, four with the 351st and one with the 303rd group at Molesworth. He said that his greatest fear was that of being captured, expecting that Hitler with exhibit him in a cage."

    Keith
     
  12. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    According to The Mighty Eighth (Roger Freeman) Gable served "with 351st Bomb Group on special assignment to make a training film about aerial gunners, May to September 1943. In the course of this duty he flew five combat missions, four with the 351st and one with the 303rd group at Molesworth. He said that his greatest fear was that of being captured, expecting that Hitler with exhibit him in a cage."

    Keith


    Wow. That's good information. My apologies to Adam and my thanks to you.
     
  13. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    I understand that Gable's participation was curtailed after his last mission, where the B-17 he was flying in as an observer was shot up badly. Gable's personal equipment was hit by a projectile, but his body was not.

    It may be mentioned above, I haven't looked, but if you want to see a star that put his money where his mouth is, read about James Stewart.
     
  14. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    It may be mentioned above, I haven't looked, but if you want to see a star that put his money where his mouth is, read about James Stewart.

    Glenn Miller too. Although he volunteered to be a musician, the financial hit he took was huge. He was a superstar at the time.
     
  15. La-de-da-Gunner Graham

    La-de-da-Gunner Graham Senior Member

    I agree. Respect to them both.

    Keith
     
  16. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    I understand that Gable's participation was curtailed after his last mission, where the B-17 he was flying in as an observer was shot up badly. Gable's personal equipment was hit by a projectile, but his body was not.

    It may be mentioned above, I haven't looked, but if you want to see a star that put his money where his mouth is, read about James Stewart.

    Jeff,
    That's my sense as well. From all accounts he was the genuine deal. Put himself in harms way, asked for nothing special and was exceptionally modest afterwards. A classy guy in every way.
     
  17. Theobob

    Theobob Senior Member

    A mate of my dads "flatpacked" Stewart Granger when he did the "big i am" and tried to push into a queue for chocolate.
    I have no idea what outfit Granger was in,but we were watching a film one night with him in it and dad just came out with it!
    Things like that used to pop in and out of his head all the time.
    Weird eh
     
  18. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    My father served on the home front with

    - Nigel Stock (Owen MD, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Great Escape etc etc) and
    - Jack Allen (Willoughby from Korda's 1939 The Four Feathers),

    although neither were in action with him.

    N.Stock went onto the Gurkhas, and J.Allen stayed with the RUR.

    Following on from a previous comment, Terence Milligan was very supportive of my Dad and his comrades at Stuka Ridge, near Bou Arada, 70 years ago this month.
     
  19. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

  20. sandwichery

    sandwichery Junior Member

    Lee Marvin,

    Wiki:
    "He left school to join the U.S. 4th Marine Division, serving as a sniper. He was wounded in action during the WWII Battle of Saipan, eight months prior to the Battle of Iwo Jima. Most of his platoon were killed during the battle. This had a significant effect on Marvin for the rest of his life. He was awarded the Purple Heart medal and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class."

    Marvin actually got his butt shot off on Saipan. Watched an interview when he described how he was hit while crawling. He laughingly called it "a pretty embarrassing" place to get wounded and he still had the wallet that the bullet went through.
     

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