Uncensored Retro Photos

Clark Gable was a Hollywood star long before WW2.

Wheels

@whweels. thanks, I know, like James Stuart. I was gone with the wind ( was asked to do other thinks, and had forgotten to edit my text.).
On the other hand, I always wondered why Hollywood actor John Wayne, like actor Dana Andrews, played in many war movies (even during WW-II), but never took part in the war.

He was initially medically deferred due to his age but continued attempting to serve.
John Wayne

America’s entry into World War II resulted in a deluge of support for the war effort from all sectors of society, and Hollywood was no exception. Wayne was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status (classified as 3-A – family deferment). Wayne repeatedly wrote to John Ford saying he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquiring whether he could get into Ford’s military unit.[36] Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but Republic Studios was emphatically resistant to losing him since he was their only A-list actor under contract. Herbert J. Yates, President of Republic, threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract,[37] and Republic Pictures intervened in the Selective Service process, requesting Wayne’s further deferment.[38]

U.S. National Archives records indicate that Wayne, in fact, did make an application[39] to serve in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), precursor to the modern CIA, and had been accepted within the U.S. Army’s allotted billet to the OSS. William J. Donovan, OSS Commander, wrote Wayne a letter informing him of his acceptance into the Field Photographic Unit, but the letter went to his estranged wife Josephine’s home. She never told him about it. Wayne toured U.S. bases and hospitals in the South Pacific for three months in 1943 and 1944.[40] with the USO.[41][42][43] During this trip, he carried out a request from Donovan to assess whether General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the South West Pacific Area, or his staff were hindering the work of the OSS.[20]:88 Donovan later issued Wayne an OSS Certificate of Service to memorialize Wayne’s contribution to the OSS mission.[20]:88[44]

By many accounts, his failure to serve in the military later became the most painful part of his life.[36] His widow later suggested that his patriotism in later decades sprang from guilt, writing: “He would become a ‘superpatriot’ for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying home.”[45]

The actor who probly is the most famous for their service in WW2 and beyond was good old Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewarts Military Service

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And lil Audie.

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Charles Durning is one I remember. He was one of three that survived the Malmedy Massacre.

Couple of excerpts from the link I posted.

His is a remarkable story of survival . As a 21-year-old infantryman, Private Charles Durning was in the first wave of soldiers to land on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. He was the only man to survive a machine-gun ambush . Despite suffering serious machine gun and shrapnel wounds, Durning killed seven German gunners to survive D-Day.

Several months later, in Belgium, Durning was stabbed eight times by a bayonet-wielding teenage German soldier . That day, he survived by killing the German with a rock in hand-to-hand combat. Durning recovered from those wounds and was released from the hospital just in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge , where he was taken prisoner.

Charles Durning was one of only three men to survive the infamous massacre of American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium . He and two others escaped, and the rest were murdered. Durning was obliged to return with American troops to identify the bodies of his fellow prisoners.

Wheels

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I was more talking actors/celebrities who had careers well established prior to the war, like Ford, Stewart, and Wayne. But all of those are also valid.

Early WWI aviators were GANGSTA! :slight_smile:

M1911 (my favorite pistol to this day) with extended mag and brass capture!

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Used a Browning Hi Power as personal backup, with a normal mag. My belt had an extended mag and two more normal mags. I once went to collect a mate coming back from leave and forgot to check them in at the Police station. I clearly set off the hand detector that was then in use (I hope) but they said nothing.to me and let me in. Now you cant get near an aircraft with a Leatherman.

Weekly range day

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I’m going to ask @Scoop, what exactly where you doing for a living that react to contact in a vehicle and bailout drills were part of your SOP’s? Particularly in the UK?

I’ll see if I have any pictures or vids from our last training block were we did vehicle stuff. Lots of MP-5k’s and such that day.

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Troubles in Ireland, right?

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armed Willys….

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@jenrick @schurem .This is public domain since it was broadcast in Northern Ireland on national tv. I feature about four times in the program. I am the one with the red hackle in my hat… (Feathers). Example I am interviewd hatless after about minute 11.00

I did nine years there in the same job. Corporal to Major. Later I became a pilot for a living.

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That was bloody fascinating @Scoop. Thank you very much for posting the video.

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Once my internet is back up (doing this on cellular data) I’ll give that a watch. Cpl-Major wow, that’s quiet the time in service!

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26 years service in total

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@JerryTumbler
Armed but no armour?

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There are thousands of Water Mitty’s who alledgedly took part in the Iranian Embassy siege. You might be interested to know that Mr Horsfell who is featured a few times early in the video on Op Banner prosecutions was really on the balcony and was in the team that stormed the building
https://www.robinhorsfall.info/about-robin
@jenrick @Victork2 @schurem

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oh the memories :wink: I have somewhere book on SAS, there was also description of the Iranian Embassy siege. I was really interested in this kind of stuff when I was younger.
…now I have to go buy ARMA3 :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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My favourite SAS escapade

Heroes all

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Wow.

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