Actors, Politicians, and Celebrities

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

Tags:
Page 5 of 18
  1. Cpl Rootes

    Cpl Rootes Senior Member

    Christopher Lee - He volunteered to fight for the Finnish forces during the Winter War against the Soviet Union in 1939 - though, as Lee admits in his autobiography, he and his fellow British volunteers were in Finland for a fortnight and kept well away from the Russian forces the whole time. He went on to serve in the Royal Air Force and intelligence during World War II. He trained in South Africa as a pilot but was forced to drop out due to vision problems. He eventually ended up in North Africa as Cipher Officer for No. 260 Squadron RAF and was with them through Sicily and Italy. Additionally, he has mentioned serving in Special Operations Executive. Lee retired from the RAF after the end of the War in the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

    Alec Guinness - Served in the Royal Navy throughout World War II, serving first as a seaman in 1941 and being commissioned the following year. While in the Navy, Guinness for a while planned on becoming an Anglican priest. He commanded a landing craft taking part in the invasion of Sicily and Elba and later ferried supplies to the Yugoslav partisans.
     
    Cpl Rootes, Jan 21, 2007
    #81
  2. 52nd Airborne

    52nd Airborne Green Jacket Brat

    Clive (Don't Panic!) Dunn of Dads Army Fame was a Trooper in the Royal Armoured Corp, spending 4 years as a POW.
     
    52nd Airborne, Jan 22, 2007
    #82
  3. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Further to that, you may be interested to see the following quoted from the Dad's Army website:

    "Clive Dunn is third generation show business, the son of two comedy artistes, and he remains a modest, unassuming man despite hundreds of television shows and the talent to be a clown, actor, dancer, trick cyclist, and singer. Nobody was more surprised than him to find himself at the top of the Hit Parade and appearing on Top Of The Pops with his record Grandad. It couldn't have happened to a better chap because Clive Dunn as a Trooper in the Queen's own 4th Hussars was captured on the Greek mainland in 1941 and spent four years in a prisoner in a German labour camp."

    When the war finished in 1945 and the chaps who were POWs were released, not all of them returned to their original unit and I don't remember coming across Clive Dunn during my own service with the 4th QOH.
     
    Ron Goldstein, Jan 22, 2007
    #83
  4. djcrtoye

    djcrtoye Member

    Here are 2 more actors in the services during the war. Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olvier both served in the Fleet Air Arm before being dissmissed as being poor pilots.
     
    djcrtoye, Jan 22, 2007
    #84
  5. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Peter Clare, Jan 22, 2007
    #85
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Have you seen this site?
    Actors in WWII

    I am reminded that in 1942, whilst awating my call-up I was living near Luton and commuting daily to London.
    One day when stopping at Welwyn Garden I was surprised to see a very dashing young officer board the train, none other than David Niven.
     
    Ron Goldstein, Jan 22, 2007
    #86
  7. 52nd Airborne

    52nd Airborne Green Jacket Brat

    Further to that, you may be interested to see the following quoted from the Dad's Army website:

    "Clive Dunn is third generation show business, the son of two comedy artistes, and he remains a modest, unassuming man despite hundreds of television shows and the talent to be a clown, actor, dancer, trick cyclist, and singer. Nobody was more surprised than him to find himself at the top of the Hit Parade and appearing on Top Of The Pops with his record Grandad. It couldn't have happened to a better chap because Clive Dunn as a Trooper in the Queen's own 4th Hussars was captured on the Greek mainland in 1941 and spent four years in a prisoner in a German labour camp."

    When the war finished in 1945 and the chaps who were POWs were released, not all of them returned to their original unit and I don't remember coming across Clive Dunn during my own service with the 4th QOH.

    Clive Dunn is his stage name, his real name is Robert Bertram Dunn.
     
    52nd Airborne, Jan 22, 2007
    #87
  8. peterhastie

    peterhastie Senior Member

    Hello All
    I'm not sure if this thread has been started before.

    Any service man or woman who saw active service in WW2 and went on to become famous or well known in a different carrier. Movie Stars Politicians or eminent professionals.

    I can think of one or two

    Anthony Quayle
    Anthony Quayle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    and

    Tony Benn
    Tony Benn

    Peter
     
    peterhastie, Aug 25, 2008
    #88
  9. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Gerard, Aug 25, 2008
    #89
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Leslie Neilsen, film actor, was an Air Gunner in RCAF .

    Scotty in Star Trek, James Doohan, was RCA.
    Wounded on D-Day I beleive.

    Humphrey Lyttelton, the jazz musician, journalist and radio presenter was in Grenadier Guards in Italy.
    At Eton he fagged for Lord Carrington another Grenadier.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Carington%2C_6th_Baron_Carrington

    Denis Healey, was at Anzio.
    Denis Healey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Alan Whicker was in the AFPU in Italy.

    Murray Walker served in Royal Scots Greys as a Sherman commander in 1945.
     
    Owen, Aug 25, 2008
    #90
  11. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Archbishop Robert Runcie earnt an MC with the Scots Guards, commanding a Churchill named 'Lochinvar'.
     
    von Poop, Aug 25, 2008
    #91
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    The subject on one of my threads about a painting of the signing of German surrender, and a mate of Tony Benn's.

    Enoch Powell
    Wiki
    "In October 1939 Powell enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, almost a month after returning home. Powell enlisted in the ranks as an Australian. In later years he recorded his promotion from private to lance-corporal in his Who's Who entry, on other occasions describing it as a greater promotion than entering the Cabinet. He was trained for a commission after, whilst working in a kitchen, answering the question of an inspecting officer with a Greek proverb. He was commissioned on the General List in 1940, but almost immediately transferred to the Intelligence Corps. In October 1941, as a Lieutenant, Powell was posted to Cairo and transferred back to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was soon promoted to the rank of Major. He helped mastermind the attack on Rommel's supply lines, as well as the Battle of El Alamein. Powell was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in August 1942. Twelve months later, in August 1943 he was posted to Delhi. Though he served in Africa with the Desert Rats, Powell himself never actually saw combat, serving for most of his military career as a staff officer. ....

    He desperately wanted to go to the Far East to help the fight against Japan because "the war in Europe is won now, and I want to see the Union Flag back in Singapore" before, Powell thought, the Americans beat Britain to it. Powell attempted to join the Chindits and jumped into a taxi to bring the matter up with Orde Wingate but his duties and rank precluded the assignment.
    Powell began the war as the youngest professor in the Commonwealth; he ended it as the youngest Brigadier in the British army, the only man in the entire war to rise from Private to Brigadier. Powell felt guilty for having survived when many of those he had met during his journey through the ranks had not. When once asked how he would like to be remembered, he at first answered "Others will remember me as they will remember me", but when pressed he replied "I should like to have been killed in the war." "
     
    dbf, Aug 25, 2008
    #92
  13. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    dbf, Aug 25, 2008
    #93
  14. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    dbf, Aug 25, 2008
    #94
  15. Herakles

    Herakles Senior Member

    Leo Genn featured in many great films - Quo Vadis, Longest Day, The Wooden Horse etc, as well as being a widely respected stage actor.

    During World War II Genn served in the Royal Artillery, being made Lieutenant Colonel in 1943. In 1944, the actor was given official leave to appear as the Constable of France in Laurence Olivier's Henry V. Genn was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1945. He was part of the British unit that investigated war crimes at Belsen concentration camp and later was an assistant prosecutor at the trial for Belsen in Luneburg, Germany. (Wiki)
     

    Attached Files:

    Herakles, Aug 25, 2008
    #95
  16. Jim Clay

    Jim Clay Member

    JFK - became most powerful man in the world - allegedly

    Audie Murphy - most decorated US soldier in WW2 - became Hollywood actor who played himself in his autobio-pic 'To Hell And Back'

    Edward Heath - noted yachtsman - and Prime Minister (took UK into the EU...)
     
    Jim Clay, Aug 26, 2008
    #96
  17. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Rod Steiger, US Navy,

    Remember him talking on TV once, saying how he nearly broke his mother's arm getting her to sign his papers when he was just 16.

    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."
     
    dbf, Aug 26, 2008
    #97
  18. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    ./..and not one word about David Nivin - soldier with HLI pre war - actor - soldier again in WW2 - actor again ???
     
    Tom Canning, Aug 26, 2008
    #98
  19. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Tom

    Have you seen this site?
    Actors in WWII

    I am in reminded that in 1942, whilst awating my call-up I was living near Luton and commuting daily to London.
    One day when stopping at Welwyn Garden I was surprised to see a very dashing young officer board the train, none other than David Niven.
    __________________
     
    Ron Goldstein, Aug 26, 2008
    #99
  20. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen, Aug 26, 2008
    #100
Page 5 of 18

Share This Page