Christopher Lee - Service in World War II

Service in World War II

Initially, Lee volunteered to fight for the Finnish forces during the Winter War in 1939. He and other British volunteers were kept away from actual fighting, but he was issued winter gear and was posted on guard duty a safe distance from the frontlines. 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 in Northern Africa. He trained in South Africa as a pilot, but eyesight problems forced him to drop out. He eventually ended up stationed in North Africa as a Cipher Officer for No. 260 Squadron RAF and was with it through the campaigns in Sicily and Italy. He has mentioned serving in Special Operations Executive. Lee retired from the RAF to take up acting after the end of the war with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Read more about this topic:  Christopher Lee

Famous quotes containing the words service in, service, world and/or war:

    Mr. Speaker, at a time when the nation is again confronted with necessity for calling its young men into service in the interests of National Security, I cannot see the wisdom of denying our young women the opportunity to serve their country.
    Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)

    The service a man renders his friend is trivial and selfish, compared with the service he knows his friend stood in readiness to yield him, alike before he had begun to serve his friend, and now also. Compared with that good-will I bear my friend, the benefit it is in my power to render him seems small.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    The world like Great Sodom lies under Love
    and knows not the hand of the Lord that moves.
    Robert Duncan (b. 1919)

    The British blockade won the war; but the wonder is that the British blockhead did not lose it. I suppose the enemy was no wiser. War is not a sharpener of wits.
    George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)