Best war TV mistakes of all time

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Bonanza picture

A Dream to Dream - S9-E26

Character mistake: When Hoss takes Timmy for a horseback ride, after they both dismount by the lake, Hoss calls Timmy by his real name Johnny (Whitaker) and not Timmy.

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World on Fire picture

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Factual error: After escaping from Danzig, Grzegorz and Konrad flee to Warsaw, then to the eastern, Soviet-occupied part of Poland. They then make their way on foot right across occupied Poland and Germany to join British forces at Dunkirk, a distance of over 1,000 miles. Not a likely journey on foot at any time, let alone across hostile territory in the middle of a war.

Necrothesp

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Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. picture

PFC Gomer Pyle - S2-E1

Factual error: Sgt. Carter is wearing a plain belt buckle with his dress blues uniform. Since Sgt. Carter is Gunnery Sgt, he is a staff NCO so his buckle should have the USMC emblem on the buckle. (00:24:00)

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M*A*S*H picture M*A*S*H mistake picture

Divided We Stand - S2-E1

Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene where General Clayton is explaining the 4077 to the psychiatrist, the scene changes to the outdoor set and the camera pans to the right. As the camera pans past the hospital, a white 1970s era shuttle van can be seen driving into the set in the upper right corner of the screen. (00:01:35)

John Hunt

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SEAL Team picture

Fracture - S2-E1

Factual error: The briefer on the oil platform mission says the platform is 12 stories, and 80 million square feet. Doing the math, that makes it half a mile per side if completely square. It is nowhere near that size as shown. The largest oil rig in the world - Berkut in Russia's Far East - has a combined deck area of only 342,000 square feet. (00:13:35)

toroscan

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Shogun picture

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Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene you see an old ship in the water, if you look closely you can also see the shadow of the helicopter that is filming the scene.

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The Pacific picture The Pacific mistake picture

Guadalcanal/Leckie - S1-E1

Factual error: On the map behind the colonel during the first scene, Iceland is labelled as being under Nazi control. This is incorrect, as the British were in control of the country during the whole of the war. (00:05:10)

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Dad's Army picture

Don't Forget the Diver - S4-E2

Factual error: While Capt. Square is looking through his binoculars at what he thinks is Mainwaring's platoon marching with their rifles, a 1960's Bedford lorry drives past on the road behind them.

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Band of Brothers picture

Carentan - S1-E3

Factual error: In this episode we see Blithe get shot in the neck and are told that he died in 1948. In reality he was shot in the shoulder and survived. He later served in Korea and was promoted to master sergeant as well as receiving the paratrooper of the year award. Blithe died in 1967 while on active duty in Germany.

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The Tudors picture

Episode 8 - S1-E8

Revealing mistake: In the scene where the king and his entourage are walking through the crowd, someone in the crowd (right side) is wearing a watch on his left hand while applauding.

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Attila picture

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Factual error: Aetius' troops don't look anything like 5th century Roman soldiers. They are carrying a large rectangular shield, a pilum (a spear which was used for throwing) and a sword (gladius) on their right. This was typical for the Roman army until about the 3rd century A.D. In Aetius' time, the soldiers would have had smaller oval shields, a hasta (a lance used for stabbing and for fending off cavalry attacks) and a sword (spatha) on their left. Also, there would be an enormous amount of "barbarian" mercenaries in the Roman army (Goths, Vandals, even Huns.), so it was hardly a Roman army anymore. And where's Aetius' cavalry?

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Winds of War picture

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Factual error: Part 4: The cord on the telephone Pug uses to call Pam should be a straight wire. Instead, it's coiled: a design not yet in use in the 1940s. (00:13:30)

Jean G

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Over There picture

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Factual error: In episode 7, we see a toilet in the improvised jail. In fact, most "toilets" in Iraq are specially built holes in the floor.

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The Unit picture

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Continuity mistake: Episode: "Man Hunt": When Jonas tries to interrogate the hardware store owner, the owner falls off his chair, knocking it over. In the next shot it's standing upright again.

Boobra

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The Blue and the Gray picture The Blue and the Gray mistake picture

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Visible crew/equipment: During the Battle of Bull Run, just before the first shell is fired towards the plantation house, at the upper part of the screen you can see a helicopter flying over the battle action. (01:45:00)

Jean G

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War and Remembrance picture

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Factual error: When Pug comes home, Rhoda puts on a Christmas record. The record player has an automatic changer that drops the disc and then moves the arm into place. Though a small 45 rpm changer was designed as early as 1938, and this movie's set in 1942, the type Rhoda uses here wasn't around for another 20 years. (00:09:00)

Jean G

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