Page 24 - Thrapston Life January 2023

the Ruhr Valley, Gable counted 15 holes in his B-17, and one of the canon shells that struck his aircraft tore the heel off Gable’s boot and missed his head by just 30cm. Luckily,
the shell failed to explode, If it had exploded, Hollywood would have lost its biggest star.
Whether Gable was aware of it at
the time or not, he was Adolf Hitler’s favourite movie star, and the Fuhrer
offered a huge reward to anyone who could capture the star and deliver him to Hitler unharmed – although, what he intended to do with his prize catch will never be known. Happily, the reward was never claimed.
Gable left Polebrook on November 5th and returned to America, where he was awarded the Air Medal and a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) and promoted to the rank of Major.
‘Combat America’ is still available to buy on DVD and eagle-eyed viewers will be able to spot
He was Adolf Hitler’s favourite movie star
some local scenes.
Gable continued to act after the war,
but never with quite as much success as before. He died of a heart attack on November 16th 1960, aged just 59. You can still see his initials etched into a windowpane in his favourite corner of The Red Lion pub at Cranford.
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Stuart Barker is a professional writer and author. He has a keen interest in local history and likes nothing better than riding round Northants visiting historical sites on his motorcycle.