Donald Pleasance
 

Hi,

I read the other day that Donald Pleaseance flew with Bomber Command during WWII. He was shot down and made a POW.

Anyone know which squadron he flew with and when he was shot down?

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi,

I think he was in a Halifax .

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hello Alex,

F/O Donald Pleasance was a Wireless operator in Lancaster NE112 "M" of 166 Squadron which was lost on 31 August 1944. He became a POW in Stalag Luft 1 in Barth.

All the best,

Wim

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi Alex, Wim

Thanks for your replies.

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi Alex,

Wim is 100% correct.

Crew were -from BCL vol 5 -
F/O. E.B. Tutty RAAF evaded
Sgt. R.D. Butcher evaded
F/L. D. A. Wallis POW
F/Sgt. G. J. Kirby POW
F/O. D. Pleasence POW
Sgt. L. Letten KIA
Sgt. W. C. Alderson KIA

a/c AS-M took off from Kirmington at 1320 hrs Target Agenville, tasked to attack the V-2 depot. Came down 9 km ENE Abbeville on main road to Doullens. F/L Wallis broke his pelvis and spent most of his captivity in hospital at Mulhausen.

Alex

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

A great character actor. He will be missed. Aside from the great horror flicks he did, and, of course, The Great Escape (must have been deja vu all over again!), I thought he was the perfect Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed.

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Not to forget his protrayal of 007's arch-enemy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, white cat and all!

He wasn't the only British character actor to have been a PoW and then played one: Sam Kydd was another, I believe. A lot of the actors in British war movies of the 50s had seen war service of course: they were the right age. For example, Richard Todd had been a paratrooper in Normandy, before he became a Dambuster in movies.

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Yes, how could we forget Blofeld? I knew that Richard Todd (another good one) had been a paratrooper and was in Normandy. It must have really been deja vu all over again for him in The Longest Day! I thought the 1960's special effects of the glider attack on the bridge are still one of the best ever done. Nick, do you know what unit he was with and where he was actually dropped?

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi,

Thanks for everyones inputs.

Didn't Richard Todd actually fight near Pegasus Bridge for real?

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

TV and film star Denholm Elliott was also shot down over Germany and taken POW. In an interview he said just after the war he auditioned for a part in a POW film but was told he did not look right for the part,

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Rupert Davies was an RN Swordfish crew and became a POW in August of 1940.
The Chap from the Carry On films was also RN (IIRC) and Jimmy Edwards was a Dakota Pilot shot down but I do not recal if he was POW or not.

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Alex,

I do not know if you are interested in others but author Roald Dahl was a fighter pilot. As Alex S. says Jimmy Edwards was A Dakota pilot when he was on ''This Is Your Life '' many years ago he was reunited with one of his crew and said as he was hiding in bushes following being shot down '' This silly bugger nearly gave the game away by having a noisy pee ''. I believe Patrick Moore TV presenter and actor Warren Mitchell were also Bomber Command vets. In an interview '' Scotty '' from Star Trek said he was an AOP pilot with Canadian Forces,

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi,

Thanks to everyone who has replied.

I've started a thread on British actors at war in the 'Second World War in General' forum so this one doesn't stray off track too much.

Thanks again,

Alex

Re: Donald Pleasance
 

Hi,

The "Carry On" man that I meant was Peter Butterworth.
And OK, Denholm Elliot was in a Halifax.
Mk II DT508 MP-K of 76 Sqn lost on 23/24th Sept 42.
Two crew lilled.

Alex