Celebrity Death of the Day - Wartime Special
Leslie Howard (1893-1943)
Howard made countless British films before making an uncomfortable transition across the Atlantic to star in Gone With the Wind. Unhappy with his success, Howard returned to Britain to help with the war effort. Whilst flying back from a secret mission in Lisbon, Howard’s plane was shot down - making him the first ‘in action’ Hollywood death of World War 2. For many years it was thought that the Nazis shot at the plane believing Churchill to be on board. Churchill himself expressed regret in his autobiography that he may have indirectly caused Howard’s death.
