Factoid mode on/ More Bénédictine is drunk in one local working men's club, the Burnley Miners' Club, than anywhere else in the world. Factoid mode off/
I've heard that before Dutch, a tradition that came about after a regiment from Burnley were stationed in Normandy during WWI. I know it's a bit sad, but I love stories like that. But for every reaction, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Which is why my Granddad refused to ever get in a Japanese car.
Off topic I know, but it reminded me of a surprise I had about an actor. He's one of those 'actors' that play the same role in every film he's in, but I stumbled across a site that mentioned famous people in the war. please log in to view this image Charles Durning was a 21-year-old Army Ranger on Omaha Beach, June 6th, 1944. Wounded, he was the only soldier in his outfit to survive the initial assault. He was wounded in Belgium, stabbed by a German teenager wielding a bayonet. He was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944, and survived the infamous machine-gun massacre of over 100 US POWs at Malmady. He returned to the site of the crime to help identify the bodies. Finally, as the war wound down and he helped to liberate the Nazi death camps, Charles Durning took a bullet to the chest, effectively ending his tour of duty. He was awarded three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star. And he spent the ensuing four years in and out of hospitals. I should know better than to make snap judgements. Here's another. James Doohan (Scotty of Star Trek fame) was an enlisted man who rose to captain in the Royal Canadian Artillery, he was with the Royal Canadian Artillery on Juno Beach on D-Day. He was shot seven times, with an eighth bullet lodging in his metal cigarette case. Three bullets shredded the middle finger of his right hand. Eventually, the finger was amputated, which is occasionally noticeable in Star Trek episodes and movies.
He'd have been knackered as spock, trying to do the 'live long and prosper' gesture. please log in to view this image
Lesley Howard of Gone with the Wind fame was in actual fact a spy for British Intelligence during the Spanish Civil war. He was killed returning on a flight from Lisbon when his aircraft a DC-3 transport was shot down by a German fighter. Apparently Churchill was at the time trying to stop Franco from joining the Axis alliance and had been visiting Algeria at the time. Due to British Intelligence deception the Germans thought Churchill was on the DC-3 when it was shot down over the Bay of Biscay. Also Peter Ustinov was David Niven's batman during the Second World War!!
Great character actor Durning. I remember seeing him in the Choirboys years ago. Never seen the film shown again dunno why. Trevor Howard played up to being a war hero, but was discharged for being mentally unstable and never saw any action.
