Corrected entry: Bizarrely, this film is partially based upon a real incident - the ending of which is somewhat different to that in this film. Twelve US soldiers on death row or serving long prison terms were selected to undertake a highly dangerous mission behind enemy lines in France in 1944. One of the US Army officers responsible for them was Ernest Hemingway, another was - of all people. - Russ "Supervixens" Meyer. All twelve were intensively trained and then transferred to a transit camp near Caen to be prepared for their final mission. As soon as they landed on French soil, all twelve deserted.
Tailkinker
24th Nov 2006
Correction: During WW2, Hemingway was a war correspondent for Collier's magazine, while Meyer was a combat cameraman. Neither would have been given any degree of responsibility for a special mission. However, despite rumours to the contrary, no such mission ever took place. It's believed that the Dirty Dozen was inspired by a group of elite commandoes from the 101st Airborne Division, who were nicknamed the Filthy Thirteen and who were trained to demolish targets behind enemy lines. However, while the group had a reputation for hard drinking and fighting, and some did possess criminal records, unlike their fictional counterparts, none of them were convicts.
Tailkinker ★