I was reading a news article earlier about six SAS heroes (British Special forces) who spent around 40 days behind enemy lines during World War 2 in an operation to divert German troops away from the beaches on and after D-Day.
In true boys own stuff the operation was given the codename, ”Operation Titanic” with a low survival rate for the six SAS men. Working with local French Resistance, they led the Germans on a number of wild goose chases tying up German troops and keeping them away from the landing beaches.
The way they landed in France was interesting has they were dropped alongside a cluster of puppet parachutists to make the Germans think more men were landing than in reality. Once they regrouped after the drop, they activated gramophone speakers to simulate gunfire and set off improvised bombs, all part of the ruse to make the enemy troops believe it was a larger force of parachutists landing.
They were finally captured after 40 days behind enemy lines until the Germans stumbled upon them hiding in a barn after they decided to make a break for the Allied lines. After a fierce battle they were caught and were lucky, it was by German paratroopers who treated relatively well. Had the SS caught them they would have been executed for being saboteurs. Under orders from Hitler himself all commandos, Special Forces were to be shot on capturer.
On reading the article, I thought this would make a great film but in the arms of Hollywood, I could smell the changes they would make. The SAS becoming an equivalent American force starring Brad Pitt the leader with Chris Pine is tough sergeant and Scarlett Johansson the French Resistance get the picture. Has for the barn scene Pitt and his men take on a SS Division killing 100s before rounding up the survivors who are then marched through British lines to cheers from the British troops some on their knees praising them for saving the whole British Army.
It’s not as if the American film industry hasn’t got form on turning facts into an American story. In "Saving Private Ryan”, all mention of British or Allied troops was omitted! Would that have happened if it were a British film? While in the film U-571, the British were admitted from the film and replaced by an American submarine and crew has they capture the Enigma cipher machine not the British sailors who capture the first naval Enigma machine in the North Atlantic in May 1941 before America entered the war. There was little in the end film that matched the true facts but when as Hollywood let facts get in the way.
Who can forget Objective, Burma! Even though it was based on the exploits of Merrill's Marauders, Objective Burma was withdrawn from release in the United Kingdom after it infuriated British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and drew protests about the Americanization of an almost entirely British, Indian and Commonwealth conflict. In Britain the film was given a new name by British soldiers who fought in the Far East remembered as the film in which Errol Flynn won the war single-handed’.
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