Celebrities from the Air Works?

ndicki

ndicki

Charter Member 2016
I've just done one for Raymond Baxter; who else comes to mind? I don't mean people who were especially noticed while they were in the RAF, but who became known afterwards. Others I can think of include Ian Smith (PM of UDI Rhodesia) on Spits in the Med and Hughie Green (Bernie, the bolt!) (Grief, that dates me, doesn't it? I loved it. I must have been five or six!) Unfortunately, he was a ferry pilot, so he won't get his own aircraft.

Can you think of any more?
 
But he became famous during the war, because of the war. Doesn't count - even if what he went through was rather nasty, to say the very least. But not valid here.
 
ndicki said:
and Hughie Green (Bernie, the bolt!) (Grief, that dates me, doesn't it? I loved it.
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Nigel it was Bob Monkhouse doing Bernie the Bolt in the Golden Shot. Hughie Green was in Double Your Money and Opportunity Knocks....now that really dates me, and "I mean that most sincerely!"

Beau
 
Ralph Richardson rose to Lieutenant Commander in the RNVR - but he was already famous before the war. Anything for him had better have a well-developed damage model; his nickname was Pranger Richardson. :costumes:

A friend of ours was cold-called by The Golden Shot (poor sap on end of phone is invited to guide crossbolt sight on to target as long as telly is in line-of-sight from telephone - left a bit, down, stop, right a bit, fire!) but left the caller - I do hope it was Monkhouse - speechless when she said she didn't have a television!
 
Hi Guys,

Heres a few,

Hugh (Cocky) Dundas,
Spits, Typhoons,
For some years after the war, Dundas served with the RAuxAF as CO of No. 601 Squadron. and was the air correspondent for the Daily Express newspaper.
he joined Rediffusion Limited in 1961, becoming a Director in 1966, and Chairman of Thames Television in until 1987, when he was knighted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Dundas

Keith (Bluey) Truscott,
Spitfires ETO (452 sqdn RAAF) then Kittyhawks PTO (76 Sqdn RAAF), famous football player in Australia (Melbourne) before the war, unfortunately died in a plane crash off Western Autralia before wars end.
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/329.asp

Charles (Bud) Tingwell
PR Spit and PR Mossie pilot. Med, Italy.
went onto become one of Australias most talented stage and TV/screen actors after the war.
"I was married and had now entered the film industry, playing the lead in the Australian feature film “Always Another Dawn”. Many films followed in Australia. In 1952, I was invited to Hollywood for a feature role, Lt. Carstairs in “The Desert Rats” with Richard Burton, James Mason and Chips Rafferty. I was offered a seven year contract but declined and returned home to continue working in Australian films, radio productions and theatre."
http://www.budtingwell.com.au/biography_war.php

regards Rob.
 
How about Jimmy Edwards. During the War flew Dakotas at Arnhem and D-Day. After the war became a comic actor. And also Master of Foxhounds with the Whaddon Chase Hunt.

The American Actor Peter Falk (Columbo fame) Lost an eye in the Korean War!

Patrick Moore, Navigator RAF Bomber Command then "Sky at Night"!

Edward Heath, Colonel during the War, post War became UK Prime Minister.

H.M. The Queen Elizabeth II served as a Wrac Mechanic during the War!

And finally....My Uncle Lawrence! served in the Infantry in Burma...after the war became famous...an Icon even in the "Bull" Public House from the 1950's to the mid 1970's. Old Soldiers never die...They just sober up!!!
 
I forgot! What about Gunner Milligan! Spike Milligan as he became served in the Royal Artillery WW2. Whilst serving witnessed a howitzer break free from it's tackle and hurtle down an Italian hillside, followed by an overweight and out of breath Gunner who stopped and asked Milligan "I say, Have you seen my Gun by any chance?" This Gunner was Harry Secombe later Sir Harry who with Milligan formed the Goons.

Another Goon Michael Bentine served in the RAF as an Intelligence Officer. My Father knew him very well.

Also Tony Hart of "Vision On" fame of the BBC (Those who can remember) was a Colonel in the Indian Army.

David Jacobs, BBC Broadcaster served in the Royal Navy as did Russ Conway, pianist famous in the 50's and 60's

Jimmy Young singer and BBC Broadcaster served in the RAF as a PT Instructor!
 
I like Christopher Lee, but unfortunately he didn't fly (except maybe as Dracula). :applause:

"He volunteered to fight for the Finnish forces during the Winter War against the Soviet Union in 1939; however, as Lee admits in his autobiography, he and his fellow British volunteers were in Finland only 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 services during World War II including serving as an Intelligence officer with the Long Range Desert Group. He trained in South Africa as a pilot but eyesight problems forced him to drop out. He eventually ended up in North Africa as Cipher Officer for No. 260 Squadron RAF and was with it through Sicily and Italy. Additionally, he has mentioned serving in Special Operations Executive, though all details of actions undertaken by members of the SOE are still classified. Lee retired from the RAF after the end of the War with the rank of Flight Lieutenant."
 
Another great thread, Nigel... Very entertaining... even if it does wander just a teensy bit...:friday:
 
Ian Fleming was a Naval Intelligence officer... And he "knew" the "real" James Bond...

I can't do Ian Smith's Spit, unfortunately - despite having among other things a 1000 page A4 size tome on the Rhodesian Air Force, I can't find the info.
 
Wildfowler said:
I forgot! What about Gunner Milligan! .........
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Odd. I thought it was Secombe who heard the rumbling and crashing of said unsecured gun through the camp somewhere in the Westrn Desert; followed, after a pause, by a "ragged idiot who flung up the tarpaulin of the lorry (behind which Secombe was trying to sleep) and asked Anybody seen a gun?" - Milligan. IIRC that's how Secombe told the story.

Ah well, no doubt there's more where that came from.
 
hairyspin said:
Odd. I thought it was Secombe who heard the rumbling and crashing of said unsecured gun through the camp somewhere in the Westrn Desert; followed, after a pause, by a "ragged idiot who flung up the tarpaulin of the lorry (behind which Secombe was trying to sleep) and asked Anybody seen a gun?" - Milligan. IIRC that's how Secombe told the story.

Ah well, no doubt there's more where that came from.
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You are probably right. I wrote from memory without checking up!! A fatal thing to do!!!
 
Dundas and Gorton look promising, to say the least...

"Keep 'em coming!", to quote a fellow skinner!
 
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