Necrothesp

11th Jul 2010

The Mummy (1999)

Factual error: The head of the prison is described as the "warden". This is an American term. In countries dominated by Britain, as Egypt was at the time, the head of a prison is the "governor".

Necrothesp

16th Dec 2009

Deathwatch (2002)

Factual error: Captain Jennings is referred to as the CO (Commanding Officer). In the British Army only battalion and regimental commanders are referred to as COs. Company commanders like Jennings are OCs (Officers Commanding). Not a mistake any British soldier is likely to make.

Necrothesp

16th Dec 2009

Deathwatch (2002)

Factual error: Tate refers to McNess as a "plank". The first recorded use of "plank" to mean "idiot" wasn't until 1981.

Necrothesp

16th Dec 2009

Deathwatch (2002)

Factual error: Steel helmets were introduced into the British Army in 1916. After their introduction no soldier would have gone into the front line, and certainly not over the top, in a peaked cap, as several of the soldiers do (the film is set in 1917).

Necrothesp

16th Dec 2009

Deathwatch (2002)

Factual error: One of the soldiers says that it isn't a holiday camp. Holiday camps were not introduced until the 1930s, over a decade after the film was set.

Necrothesp

Factual error: The "German" halftracks are all in fact American halftracks painted in German colours. The vehicles used by the two sides looked very different.

Necrothesp

Factual error: When he meets the general at the beginning of the film, Hessler refers to Conrad as "my corporal". He actually wears the rank insignia of an Unterfeldwebel, equivalent to a sergeant in the British Army and a staff sergeant in the US Army.

Necrothesp

Factual error: The Malmédy Massacre was not carried out by specially-prepared machine-guns hidden in the back of trucks, but by the guards surrounding the prisoners.

Necrothesp

Factual error: The German panzergrenadiers follow the tanks on foot right from the beginning of the advance. Panzergrenadiers were armoured infantry and travelled in halftracks, only dismounting to fight. Even ordinary infantry advancing with tanks would have used trucks - to do otherwise would have slowed the tanks down to a crawl and rendered them ineffective. There was a shortage of fuel in the Ardennes campaign, but the panzergrenadiers did use vehicles during the advance (except for a couple of battalions which used bicycles).

Necrothesp

1st Dec 2009

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Factual error: Angel says he went to Canterbury University. It's actually called the University of Kent or the University of Kent at Canterbury, but never Canterbury University. Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury's other university, only became a university in 2005, after Angel is likely to have ceased being a student.

Necrothesp

18th Aug 2009

Defiance (2008)

Factual error: After the final battle, Zus dismounts the tank's machine gun and puts it over his shoulder, holding it by the barrel. But the gun has been fired throughout the preceding battle (which must have just ended, as the refugees are moving as quickly as possible and wouldn't hang around for more Germans to arrive) and the barrel would be much too hot to hold.

Necrothesp

Factual error: Winley says that he was on a "photo recon" mission. As an RAF pilot, he would use the British abbreviation "recce", not the American abbreviation "recon".

Necrothesp

10th Jul 2009

Torchwood (2006)

Children of Earth: Day Three - S3-E3

Factual error: Frobisher tells the 456 he is the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office of the "United Kingdom and Northern Ireland". It should be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

Necrothesp

10th Jul 2009

Torchwood (2006)

8th Jul 2009

Torchwood (2006)

Captain Jack Harkness - S1-E12

Factual error: "Captain" Jack Harkness actually wears the rank insignia of a group captain, equivalent to an army colonel and never abbreviated to "captain". In fact, the RAF does not have a rank of captain (the equivalent rank is flight lieutenant). Neither does it have the position of "squadron captain", as he is described - a squadron commander in World War II usually held the rank of squadron leader (equivalent to an army major).

Necrothesp

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: "Captain" Jack Harkness actually wears the rank insignia of a group captain, equivalent to an army Brigadier. The equivalent rank of Captain in the RAF is Flying Officer.

Mark Andrew

Nope. Group Captain = Colonel (Air Commodore = Brigadier). Flight Lieutenant = Captain (Flying Officer = Lieutenant).

Necrothesp

Group Captain in the RAF does in fact equate to Captain in the Royal Navy. The Army equivalent being, as stated, Colonel.

8th Jul 2009

Torchwood (2006)

Factual error: Carnehan describes himself as a "gunnery sergeant". This is an American rank and no such rank has ever existed in the British Army.

Necrothesp

Factual error: The senior SS officer visiting the commandant (and later at the funeral) is wearing two oak leaves and a pip on his collar patches. This rank badge didn't exist. Two oak leaves (without a pip) were worn by an Oberführer and three oak leaves with a pip by a Gruppenführer.

Necrothesp

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