Incredible D-Day heroics of Star Trek actor ‘Scotty’ revealed: How Lt. James Doohan led his men safely across Juno Beach and took out two German snipers before becoming known as ‘craziest pilot in the Canadian air force’
- James Doohan was a Canadian lieutenant in World War II before he became famous playing ‘Scotty’ in the original Star Trek
- He had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army when he was just 19 years old
- Doohan was a lieutenant when Allied troops invaded Normandy on June 6, 1944
- He was tasked with taking Juno Beach on D-Day and took out two German snipers during the invasion
- Doohan ended up being accidentally shot six times by one of his own servicemen and lost one of his right fingers as a result
Before James Doohan became famous playing ‘Scotty’ in the original Star Trek, he was a Canadian lieutenant in World War II who heroically took out German snipers during the D-Day invasion.
Doohan, who died back in 2005, had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army when he was just 19 years old.
He had progressed to the rank of lieutenant with the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division by the time Allied troops invaded Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Doohan and his division were tasked with taking Juno Beach on D-Day as other Allied forces, including U.S. and British troops, focused on other nearby landing points.
Before James Doohan became famous playing ‘Scotty’ in the original Star Trek, he was a Canadian lieutenant in World War II who heroically took out German snipers during the D-Day invasion
He managed to take out two German snipers when he successfully led his men across the beach without setting off any of the planted mines.
‘I don’t know if they were killed or wounded but it shut them up,’ Doohan told the New York Times back in 1998.
While Doohan wasn’t injured during the initial invasion, he was accidentally shot six times by a fellow Canadian serviceman later that evening when he was walking back to his post.
Doohan suffered gunshot wounds to the leg, his hand and chest.
He lost his right middle finger in the gunfire and narrowly escaped a fatal shot to the chest when his metal cigarette case deflected the bullet.
Doohan, who died back in 2005, became an actor when he returned from WWII. Doohan rose to stardom playing Montgomery Scott – an engineer aboard the Starship Enterprise – on both TV and in film
He had progressed to the rank of lieutenant with the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division by the time Allied troops invaded Normandy on June 6, 1944
After recovering from his injuries, Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and served as a pilot.
He would go on to become known as the ‘craziest pilot in the Canadian air force’ at the tail end of the war.
Doohan returned to Canada when the war ended and enrolled in a Toronto acting school.
He would spend the next 20 years performing in television, radio and stage roles before landing his spot on Star Trek in 1966.
Doohan rose to stardom playing Montgomery Scott – an engineer aboard the Starship Enterprise – on both TV and in film.
He died of pneumonia in July 2005 and it was reported at the time that he was suffering from a respiratory disease believed to be from exposure to toxic substances during the war.