Factual error: Some of the SS rank insignia is incorrect. Most of them do wear correct insignia, with two exceptions. Wagner, who is addressed as Hauptscharführer, actually wears the collar and epaulette insignia of the next higher rank of Sturmscharführer. In reality, Wagner held the lower rank of Oberscharführer. Frenzel is addressed using his correct rank of Oberscharführer, but oddly wears the collar patches of the lower rank of Scharführer and the epaulettes of the higher rank of Hauptscharführer. Bauer and Beckmann, on the other hand, wear the correct collar patches and epaulettes for the rank of Oberscharführer which they did hold.
Necrothesp
1st Jun 2012
Escape From Sobibor (1987)
22nd Apr 2012
Joyeux Noël (2005)
Factual error: A very common error in First World War films. British soldiers were not permitted to shave their upper lips until 1916 - in 1914 almost all (unless physically unable to grow them) would have had moustaches.
22nd Apr 2012
Joyeux Noël (2005)
Factual error: Units in trenches were very closely packed and officers visited their subordinates regularly. It is inconceivable that three platoons from different sides could have fraternised for so long without a single more senior officer showing up to find out what was going on. The basic unit was the company and all the officers of the company usually shared the same dugout.
22nd Apr 2012
Birdsong (2012)
Factual error: With the exception of the RSM, no NCOs are ever seen. Stephen appears to have no platoon sergeant and no section NCOs (corporals or lance-corporals). There is no company sergeant-major (the RSM appears to do his job). There are no NCOs in the tunnelling company (which appears to consist only of a captain and half a dozen sappers). The entire army appears to pretty much consist of officers and privates with nobody in between.
22nd Apr 2012
Birdsong (2012)
Factual error: The battalion commander wears the correct crown and pip of a lieutenant-colonel, but the four cuff rings of a full colonel (lieutenant-colonels wore three).
13th Apr 2012
Sherlock (2010)
The Hounds of Baskerville - S2-E2
Factual error: Sherlock finds a photo of Major Barrymore's father and says he's wearing the Distinguished Service Order. The ribbon is not that of the DSO.
25th Mar 2012
The Red Baron (2008)
Factual error: Lanoe Hawker is depicted with a beard. As a British Army officer this would be forbidden. Hawker actually only had a moustache.
25th Mar 2012
The Red Baron (2008)
Factual error: Roy Brown describes himself as a captain in the Royal Canadian Flying Corps and wears a British Army uniform. In actual fact Brown was a flight commander in the Royal Naval Air Service and would have worn Royal Navy uniform.
22nd Mar 2012
The Path to 9/11 (2006)
Factual error: Filipino police officer Aida Fariscal is described in the screen caption as a captain. She actually held the rank of senior inspector, since the Filipino police does not use army-style ranks.
22nd Mar 2012
The Path to 9/11 (2006)
Factual error: Throughout the series, traffic in Pakistan is depicted driving on the right. In Pakistan, traffic drives on the left.
21st Mar 2012
Sherlock (2010)
The Hounds of Baskerville - S2-E2
Deliberate mistake: The army major wears a full beard. British Army personnel may not wear beards. (The beard is a nod to the original canon character on which he's based, John Barrymore, who is described in the book multiple times as being a "black-bearded man").
20th Mar 2012
Joyeux Noël (2005)
Factual error: It is highly unlikely that a Roman Catholic priest would have been permitted to join the army as an ordinary private. He would have been commissioned as a chaplain.
16th Mar 2012
The Red Baron (2008)
Factual error: Although correctly addressed as "captain" towards the end of the film, Richthofen continues to wear the rank insignia of an oberleutnant (lieutenant).
16th Mar 2012
Joyeux Noël (2005)
Factual error: There appear to be no NCOs whatsoever in any of three platoons shown, British, French or German. Only an officer each and privates. No sergeants or corporals.
12th Feb 2012
The Kennedys (2011)
A Father's Great Expectations - S1-E1
Factual error: When JFK leaves to become a PT-boat commander he is wearing full lieutenant's rank insignia. He was actually a lieutenant junior grade when he took command of PT-109.
12th Feb 2012
The Kennedys (2011)
A Father's Great Expectations - S1-E1
Factual error: The officer who phones Joseph Kennedy Sr to tell him that JFK is missing in action introduces himself as a commander at the War Department. However, he is wearing naval captain's rank insignia and (since the War Department only dealt with the army and JFK was a naval officer) would actually work for the Navy Department.
9th Feb 2012
Braveheart (1995)
Factual error: Throughout the film, Wallace is portrayed as a Highland clansman in traditional highland garb. This was done by Gibson to emphasise the Scottish/English conflict, but it is not historically accurate. In fact, Wallace was a Lowland knight from exactly the same ethnic background as the Anglo-Normans he was fighting and would have worn the same style of armour as they did.
8th Feb 2012
War Horse (2011)
Factual error: Until 1916, British soldiers were not permitted by regulations to shave their upper lips. That included officers (even generals). Almost all the 1914 cavalrymen should therefore have moustaches. Many don't.
8th Feb 2012
War Horse (2011)
Factual error: Major Stewart addresses the Indian NCO as "Sergeant Major" and he is so described in the credits. There was no such rank in the British Indian Army. Indian cavalry sergeants were known as Daffadars. More senior Indian cavalry officers held VCO ranks (Jemadar, Risaldar and Risaldar Major) which had no British equivalent. Given the importance of rank and protocol, it is highly unlikely that a British commissioned officer would be unaware of this.
16th Dec 2011
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Visible crew/equipment: As Jed Cooper is unloaded from the wagon in Fort Grant and taken into the jail, a man can be seen on the far left of the shot who appears to be wearing modern clothes, with a yellow shirt, baseball cap, and sunglasses.