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The controversy tainted Halswelle’s view of ath- letics and his commanding Officer advised him to concentrate on his Army career. Retiring from the track in 1908, he remained with his regiment, accompanying them to France in 1914. Captain Wyndham Halswelle was wounded during the bat- tle of Neuve Chapelle on 12 March 1915. He refused to be evacuated and was shot by a sniper on 31
BERNARD LEE
John Bernard Lee was born into an acting family on 10th January 1908. His first stage appearance was alongside his father in 1914 and he later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, working as a fruit porter to pay his way. After appearing in several plays, he made his film debut in 1934 and made a living mixing his appearances on stage and screen. The same year he married Gladys Merredew who was already an established actress. Called up dur- ing World War Two, he served as a private in the Royal Fusiliers before training at Sandhurst and being commissioned into the Royal Sussex Regi- ment (Army number 204368).
Demobbed in 1946, Bernard Lee’s demeanour, bur- nished by his experiences as an officer, led to him being offered dozens of authoritarian parts starting with a Colonel in The Courtneys of Curzon Street, the most successful British film of 1947. This was followed by a Chief Inspector in The Blue Lamp and a Naval Captain in Battle of The River Plate, the fourth most popular British film of 1957. Indeed, he was only cast out of type twice, as a trade union agitator in The Angry Silence (1960) and as a trai- torous spy in Shadow of Treason (1964).
In 1962, Lee was cast as ‘M,’ the head of MI6, in the first of the Eon James Bond films, Dr No. Lee’s inter- pretation of the character was close to Ian Flem- ings in the Bond books with one
March while attempting to rescue a wounded brother officer. Awarded a posthumous mention in despatches, he is buried near Armentieres. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, successor to the HLI, pre- sented the Wyndham Halswelle Memorial Trophy for the winner of the 400m at the annual Scottish under 20s championships.
his 17th century cottage in Kent. Trapped upstairs, he climbed out of a window but, by the time he returned with a ladder from the garage, Gladys had died. The following month he was mugged by two youths in London and, severely depressed, turned to drink and was soon on the verge of bankruptcy.
However, a chance meeting with actor Rich- ard Burton in a pub (where else?) turned his life
around. They had appeared together in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and Burton sent him a cheque to clear his debts with a note; ‘eve- ryone has a spot of trouble once in a while.’ Turning his life around, Lee mar- ried again in 1975 and returned to act-
ing. Admitted to hospital with cancer, Bernard Lee died in January 1981. He had been cast as ‘M’ in For Your Eyes Only but died before his scenes could be filmed. Out of respect, the role was not filled, with the explanation that ‘M’ was ‘away on leave.’ In total, Lee appeared in 91 films, 52 television programmes and 58 stage productions.
critic commenting that; “He was the
very incarnation of Fleming’s crusty admiral”.Overthenext17years,Lee
played M in 11 Bond films while his
new-found fame as a household
name opened the doors for many
television appearances in series such as Man in a Suitcase and Danger Man. During the filming of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a spooked horse caused Lee to fall into a fence. His leg was badly cut and, as there was no doctor on set, it was stitched up by the local vet. In January 1972 Lee’s life was marred by tragedy when fire broke out in
He was the very incarnation of Fleming’s crusty admiral
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