John Bull: In 'The Longest Day', Major Howard was played by actor Richard Todd. In WW2 itself, Todd had fought alongside the real Howard to hold the bridge. He was originally asked to play himself, but refused. "I think after 15 years I'm due a promotion." He joked. So they cast him as Howard instead.

In 'The Longest Day', Major Howard was played by actor Richard Todd. In WW2 itself, Todd had fought alongside the real Howard to hold the bridge. He was originally asked to play himself, but refused. "I think after 15 years I'm due a promotion." He joked. So they cast him as Howard instead.

Fireworks bursting over Pegasus Bridge to mark the moment the gliders of Major John Howard’s command touched down.

As a result, there's a scene where the character of Richard Todd (played by Patrick Jordan) appears alongside the actual Richard Todd (playing Major Howard). Meanwhile, the REAL Major Howard was on set as the film's technical advisor.

Apparently the experience was somewhat daunting for the young actor Patrick Jordan. He had not realised that the 'Lieutenant Todd' he was playing was RIchard, until he asked Howard a question about character motivation. Howard laughed, pointed at Todd and said: "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Jordan sheepishly asked Todd what his motivations had been on that day. Was he thinking about the enormity of what they were doing? Todd replied. "Not really. Mostly it was a lot of running around and trying not to get shot."

(Todd's autobiography is a fascinating read, if you can find a copy of it. It's long been out of print)

The Longest Day always makes me think of a holiday in France, listening to my Dad ( REME,Sword Beach) and his friend Armand (resistance, Arras region) commenting on how the Americans were'nt where the film shows them because they were and other stuff like that. (1/2)

I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could go back with a better understanding of French (I was 10) and get their stories as Dad only really talked about the fighting side of the war at times like that. (2/2)

It’s a strange feeling watching films or TV from the 50s and 60s, knowing these guys saw the terrible effect of war Everyone knows about Christopher Lee and Jimmy Stewart, but Carry On actor Peter Butterworth being one of the vaulters during The Great Escape. Eric Sykes at the liberation of Belsen?

Dirk Bogarde in 'A Bridge Too Far'

David Niven (from Wikipedia:) About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. But I'll have to do it all over again in Hollywood with Errol Flynn!"

Dirk Bogarde at Belsen too

Ha was at Belsen too, and Dennis Norden. Bogarde was apparently so furious with what he saw that he basically couldn’t stand to be in the same room as a German for years after the war.

that’s interesting considering his later part in ‘the night porter’ as a former camp guard

Another film which had the real people on set advising the actors, I think? A veteran said that running between cover was unrealistic, in the real thing he walked. This was rejected as uncinematic.

Patrick Troughton ramming an E-boat in the Channel. Jon Pertwee being transferred off HMS Hood just before she went to her doom and the doom of all but three of his shipmates. David Niven in the Battle of the Bulge.

And then there's Arnold Ridley, who suffered multiple close combat injuries at the Somme including a bayonet to the groin, but re-enlisted at the outbreak of WW2 and was among the last British soldiers to escape France aboard HMS Vimiera after the Battle of Boulogne.

Niven mostly wouldn't talk WW2 "I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne. I found it where they told me I would, but it was among 27,000 others, and I told myself that here, Niven, were 27,000 reasons why you should keep your mouth shut after the war."

He was famously contemptuous of actors who used WW2 experiences as useful anecdotes on talk shows.

I never understood Niven’s POV on that but greatly admired him for it nonetheless. An absolute dude. I think Sylvia worked with him at some point.

peter butterworth was wooden horse which he auditioned for the film and was told he didn’t look the part despite being part of the actual team

It reminds me of when Jay Landsman auditioned for the part of Jay Landsman in The Wire. Delaney Williams, who got the part, said, while laughing, “He wasn’t Jay Landsman enough.”

Tommy Cooper was a Desert Rat.

“I was called up, and became a Desert Rat, just like that.”

Anthony Quayle (Guns of Naverone, The Eagle Has Landed etc) was in Albania with the Special Operations Executive.

The cast of Hogan's Heroes is full of people with war experiences I can't really do justice to in the space here. 3 of the first four entries in cast section here describe them briefly. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan%2...

I'ma need the conspiracy board and some string...

He fared better than Peter Butterworth, who as a POW was one of the vaulters covering for the escapers tunnelling under the vaulting horse. He auditioned for the film dramatisation of the escape but didn’t get a part as he "didn't look convincingly heroic or athletic enough".

Audiences thought it wasn’t believable to have a young Robert Redford as General Gavin as he was “too young” to be a general. Redford was 31. General Gavin was 31 in 1944.

That's not the actual Pegasus Bridge in the picture. That's the replacement; the original is just over there, in a field, with a museum around it. However, the replacement is in the right place and has water underneath it. Then again, the canal is several metres wider now than it was then.

That's fair.

I very much enjoyed a visit to Pegasus Bridge and the little visitor centre there. Poignant.

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