Valor Friday

Two films just came out, both telling the story of former Royal Navy Lieutenant Bernard “Bernie” Jordan. Jordan famously “escaped” from his nursing home in 2014, at the age of 89, to make a pilgrimage to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, in which he participated. Somehow it looks like we missed discussing this when it all went down.

In The Great Escaper, the legendary Sir Michael Caine plays Bernie. The veteran actor, at age 90, is perfectly cast as the 89 year-old Jordan. Meanwhile, the lead in The Last Rifleman is Pierce Brosnan. The former James Bond is only 70 years old, and thus has to be made up to look two decades older. He’s a fine actor and affects the extra years of a late octogenarian, though Caine fits the role a bit better here.

The two movies tell the same basic story, of an old war horse who returns to Normandy 70 years after the invasion of Fortress Europe. The Great Escaper is a near perfect retelling of the event. The Last Rifleman is a stylized and fictitious version of the event, with Brosnan playing a former enlisted man of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles. That battalion did see active service in the Battle of Normandy, most famously as the first British troops to enter Caen.

Aside from the characters’ different backstories, the tale is the same. Both men try to take part in the official 70th anniversary events in France, but are too late to join. They both set off, secreting themselves away from their nursing home against the wishes of the staff, and make their way across the English Channel. Along the way our protagonist makes friends and finds fellow veterans.

Both movies also show that while many, if not most, in the modern world understand and appreciate the sacrifice of our veterans, there are those (particularly of the youthful persuasion) that are oblivious to the role these old men played in making our world what it is today.

The journey is equal parts guts, determination, and a time to reflect on the lives lost defeating the Nazis. Both movies portray, accurately, the struggle combat veterans go through when visiting old battles. While retracing their steps through history, they relive the worst moments of the first journey.

As Bernie/Artie is on his adventure, the woebegone staff at the nursing home start to hunt for the wayward ex-serviceman. Police are contacted, and it’s not long before the media gets a hold of the story. In the case of the real Bernie, he was called “The Great Escaper.” Artie is called “The Last Rifleman” by a newspaper man. We find that he came up with this when the newsman has to tell Artie that the reason Artie couldn’t find his battalion at their usual mustering spot in Normandy is because they’ve all passed.

The Great Escaper is a much more accurate portrayal of events, and overall is in my opinion the better film. Caine gives, as usual, a spectacular performance. He’s joined by an excellent supporting cast, including John Standing and Glenda Jackson in her final role (she passed away after filming).

The real story is obviously great source material. Bernie had served as a Royal Navy officer during the war, including service aboard landing ship tanks (LST) ferrying soldiers into Normandy on 6 June 1944. He married his childhood sweetheart Irene (Rene) in 1946. He spent time as the mayor of Hove in the 1990s.

Bernie had lied about his age to enlist when he was just 17 years old. Trained as an electrician, he eventually earned a commission. On D-Day he was in charge of operating the ramps on an LST.

Bernie said, “My job was to make sure the doors of the ship opened properly to let the tanks out. We released the tanks from the ship and, out of 20, two or three got badly damaged straight away. But the remaining 17 ploughed up the beach.

“I was scared,” He remembers, “but I used to keep up morale as best I could. I’m no comedian, but we tried to keep each other laughing.”

In their golden years, Jordan and his wife were residents of a nursing home after her health turned worse. Every morning, like clockwork, Bernie would go on a walk about the town. He’d return about lunch. In the run up to the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014, with both Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama planning to attend, thousands of veterans of the battle were invited. Bernie tried to join them, but by the time he’d expressed an interest, all the available slots were filled.

Bernie went out for what his care staff thought was just his morning walk. One nurse said, “He was a joker. He loved telling stories and always had a twinkle in his eye – and so we laughed along with it. I remember saying, ‘Take me with you. I want to come to France!’ When he went out, we assumed he was off for his usual walk.”

With no plan and no invitation (he hadn’t needed one the first time he made this journey!) he set off for France on 5 June 1944. His absence set off an international manhunt, before it was discovered that he had made it to Normandy. There he stood and observed the festivities with his brothers in arms. He’d charmed his way into the main observation platform, and if he hadn’t gotten impatient and left early, he’d have been just a hundred or so feet from the Queen and the President.

Both films also show the main characters coming in contact with German Normandy veterans, who were also at the commemoration. The Last Rifleman’s German is played by Jurgen Prochnow, in a superb cameo. Both protagonists commiserate with their former enemies about the seeming futility of the war, and the men they lost along the way.

Jordan’s story captured the country’s, and indeed world’s, imagination. Upon his return home he was given the Freedom of the City. In December 2014, Bernie died. A week later, the love of his life joined him. Never having children, the couple are buried in a joint grave, and left their estate (more than a half million pounds) to charity.

Jordan made it known that he intended to travel to Normandy in 2015, perhaps to make it an annual journey. Unfortunately, the old sailor passed away before that could happen. Bernie had previously traveled with the Royal British Legion (similar to the American Legion we’re more familiar with) as part of the 50th and 60th D-Day anniversary events, but was too late in applying for the 70th.

Freyja Sculpher, a singer with the vintage Andrews Sisters-like singing trio The Candy Girls, said she noticed Bernie on the ferry ride across the Channel on the way to the event. The boat was filled with veterans, many with a pint or ten. She said, “It was absolutely raucous on that ship. They were in the mood to party — there were beers, singing, dancing, flirting and war stories. It was fabulous.”

They took a photo with him and posted it to Facebook. When the ferry got near the coast, the girls’ phones lit up as people started to recognized him from the spreading news stories.

“There was one man on a bench by himself with a beer, singing his heart out, with a big toothless grin.” She continued. He was very merry. It was Bernie. Clearly he was loving life. It makes sense now because not only was he part of everything, he’d successfully escaped.”

Bernie was seen off from Caen by French (and world) media, then returned home to much fanfare back in England. He spent the next few months giving interviews, and on his 90th birthday received 2,500 cards from well-wishers from across the globe.

The Great Escaper ends with Irene telling Bernie “If you ever leave again…I’m coming with you.” Which is what she did, seven days behind him.

In closing, if you’re going to see one film about Bernie’s adventure, go with The Great Escaper. The performances from Caine, Jackson, and Standing are excellent. It also sticks much closer to the source material. Caine plays Bernie as less gregarious and fun loving than he seems to have been in real life. While Brosnan’s Artie is more like Bernie’s actual personality, the film following a fictionalized version of the event cuts it down for me.

Bernie was a recipient of the 1939-1945 Star, the Atlantic Star with France and Germany clasp, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, and the War Medal. After his final trip to France, he was known to wear the medals proudly every day.

Category: Historical, Navy, Valor, We Remember