Actors in WW2

[[EID]Sharp]

WWII history magazine had an interesting article about actors that served in WWII. Some of them I'd heard of before (David Niven) but others were news to me. The article covers 7 pages, but here's a few examples:

David Niven - Saw action on Malta and at Normandy, headed a commando unit.
Mel Brooks - Combat engineer clearing mines after the Battle of the Bulge.
Jame Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek) - Shot 7 times and lost a finger on Juno beach on D-Day.
Alec Guinness - Served in Sicily, Elba and Yugolavia, reportedly skippered a British landing craft on D-Day.
Richard Todd (Major John Howard in the Longest Day) - Paratrooper on D-Day.
James Stewart - Ended the war commanding 2nd combat bomb wing, reportedly went on to fly B-52 bombing missions over Vietnam.
Paul Newman - Navy radioman in the South Pacific.
Lee Marvin - Wounded at Saipan while serving with the Marines.
Charles Bronson - Gunner on bombers in Pacific.
Audrey Hepburn - As a 16 year old girl she worked as a courier for resistance groups in Arnhem.

I might try and pick up one of the books the article mentions:

Khaki: Movie actors in the Army and Air Services - James Wise & Paul Wilderson
Stars at War - Michael Munn
International Stars at War - Scott Baron

[BillSpargo]

I'm trying to wrack my brains to remember some.

The American actor Rod Steiger served on destroyers in the Pacific and was witness to the kamikazi attacks on Allied ships.

The members of the Goons,
Spike Milligan:
During World War II he served as a signaller in the 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, D Battery, as Gunner Milligan, 954024 with the First Army in North Africa and then in Sicily and Italy. He rose to the rank of Lance-Bombardier and was about to be promoted to Bombardier when he was wounded in action in Italy and hospitalized for shell shock; an unsympathetic commanding officer demoted Milligan back to Gunner prior to his first breakdown.
Peter Sellers:
During World War II, Sellers was an airman in the Royal Air Force, rising to corporal by the end of the war.
Michale Bentine:
In World War II he served as an RAF Intelligence officer, and took part in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He said about this experience:
"Millions of words have been written about these horror camps, many of them by inmates of those unbelievable places. I’ve tried, without success, to describe it from my own point of view, but the words won’t come. To me Belsen was the ultimate blasphemy."
and Harry Secombe all saw service.
[sources: wikipaedia]

There was of course many actors and comedians who served in entertainment troops.

[enigma]

Audie Murphy ... iirc was one of Americans most decorated.

Christopher Lee, he was in the RAF during the war. Am sure it stated he was in the intel side of it all.

Ian Flemming was also in the army ... cant remember if it was him or a relative who was a commando.


There the only ones i can think of at the mo.

[BillSpargo]

Ian Flemming was also in the army ... cant remember if it was him or a relative who was a commando.

I believe he was in Naval military intelligence during the war.

[enigma]

I believe he was in Naval military intelligence during the war.

hmmm am gonner have to look through Crete: The battle and the resistance when i get home.
Am sure there was a Flemming who was a commando ... might have been a brother or something ... the name stuck in me head when i saw this topic.
Anyhoo seems Ian, formed some sort of auxiallry unit, helped in planning of Operations and made his own plans etc etc


edit: the dude i was thinking of it would seem is Peter Fleming, was a guardsmen and was in (charge?) Yak Force(?). Sorta commando type unit blowing crap up in Greece and Crete while the British was there, iirc.

[mes]

Did any actors die in WW2, or were they all lucky?

[Trent]

I know this is for actors but...

Glenn Miller served as a Band director in WWII, he was a captain i think

-Scott

[[BEF]-R!G4M0RT!Z]

Did any actors die in WW2, or were they all lucky?

Often, the people became actors AFTER WW2, but then again, others did act during the war.

[OliverMarshall]

Airborne but a not a para :p ... he made the assualt on Pegesus bridge with Howard.

He was indeed a para, he was 7th Parachute Battalions Intelligence Officer on D-DAY. He didn't participate in teh capture, but did in the defence.

[enigma]

He was indeed a para, he was 7th Parachute Battalions Intelligence Officer on D-DAY. He didn't participate in teh capture, but did in the defence.

bah yes true true!!

On bad form in this topic :p ... again thinking of someone else :( :o

[BillSpargo]

The British actor Dirk Bogarde was a Captain in the British Army and was one of the first to reach Belsen-Belsen concentration camp, He was 24 and attached to the Air Photographic Intelligence Unit at the time. He served in both the European and Pacific theatres.

[Handy]

Can't forget Clark Gable, Army Air Force Lieutenant. Glenn Miller was a singer rather than actor, but he I believe was a Major or Lt Col, he went mysteriously missing arround the time of The Battle of the Bulge, never heard from again. The actor who played the original Captain Kangaroo was awarded the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima, furthermore baseball player Ted Williams, served in the USMC during WWII, went back to ball afterwards and then joined back with the corps for Korea.

Famous boxer Joe Lewis served in the US Army aswell. Stars played a HUGE morale role in the US Army during WWII, I mean obviously if your silver screen idol can fight for his country, then you can too.

[deathknight]

Did any actors die in WW2, or were they all lucky?

as far as i know, most of the famous actors weren't allowed to join as the government felt they would be better off making movies to help with morale back home and doing USO shows to help with morale at the front

[Manstein]

Glenn Miller was the leader of the Army Air Corps Band, and disappeared over the English Channel while headed to Paris to play in the Christmas 1944 celebration there, and he wasn't really a singer, but a Trombonist and arranger

[Handy]

Meh, similar concept.


Most larger-status stars who joined up, were kept out of major combat that I know of. However Jimmy Stuart, Jimmy Stuart piloted a B17 for some large ammount of missions, and left the Military as a full bird or light Colonel.

[deathknight]

the weird thing is the number of professional athletes, baseball players, who were in the service such as Ted Williams