Factual error: Why is Hilts not wearing a uniform? A serving officer captured behind enemy lines in civilian clothing risked being shot as a spy. If a prisoner's uniform was too worn or damaged to wear, it was routine for the German authorities to replace it - a P.O.W. in civilian clothes is an obvious escape risk. He is wearing a pair of tan chinos, a cut off sloppy Joe sweatshirt, both ridiculously anachronistic - Sixties hipster fashions - and nowhere even close to a World War 2 uniform. He is also wearing Army Type III Service boots - something that would never have been issued to a fighter pilot.
Continuity mistake: In the wide-angle shots of the blue Willys (Jeep) wagon, the windshield is a 2-piece version with a vertical divider in the middle. The close-up shots don't have the divider.
Continuity mistake: The train is stopped because Spectre has pushed a 1950's style Dodge truck full of flowers in the trains path. Later, when James is driving it trying to avoid the grenades dropped from a helicopter, the truck has turned into a very different looking 1961 Chevrolet truck.
Continuity mistake: When they arrive on the island of Talos, the bronze giant, Hercules and Hylus find the statues atop huge plinths. In close up, they are looking up at the statue of Talos, then in a wide shot they start to walk towards it across bare rocks, then in close up they are back where they were with plants behind them.
Continuity mistake: At the end, when Amelia goes to Donovan's bar, she gives Gilhooley a wrapped present containing a model train set. Amelia then goes into another room to confront Donovan. When she comes out a few minutes later, Gilhooley has completely set up the train and is playing with it. He would not have had enough time to unpack it, much less have it up and running.
Continuity mistake: Goliath's two new friends grab him by the arms and carry him between the horses to escape from the guards; as the bad guys give chase, there's no consistency between shots regarding the shadows; they gallop through shadow areas that are entirely exposed to the sun when the baddies are coming, and vice versa. (00:08:00)
Suggested correction: The character of Hilts was based (in part) on the life of a British OSS agent who managed to pass as pilot by stealing a flight jacket (revealed in the DVD). We can only assume that since the Germans believed the camp was escape-proof, it didn't matter what Hilts was wearing, since he wouldn't be going anywhere.
Cobblers. Hilts is wearing casual clothing typical of the time the film was shot, not when it was set. No prisoner of war would be dressed the way he was. The posting is correct.
I've always assumed that the actor, Steve McQueen, insisted on the outfit so he would look hip per his image. He had a reputation for being a prima donna on set.