Factual error: The Korean War ended in July 1953. In the early Fifties, the US Army was extremely conservative, and sexual or romantic relationships between servicemen and women were strictly forbidden. Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan have an affair so poorly concealed that his wife, half the world away in the States, finds out about it and demands a divorce. Both Burns and Houlihan would be court-martialled and dishonourably discharged immediately after their first sexual encounter.
Suggested correction: While this is legally true, and what *should* happen in a military unit, it fits with the looser standards of the show and - based at least on the original novel - of military medicine near the front line and far from home, where results and good, quick surgery were more important than the UCMJ.
The "looser standards" of the show do not change reality. M*A*S*H is riddled with anachronisms, applying the standards and norms of the Seventies to Korea in the early Fifties. Everything from the men's hairstyles, the sloppy lack of military discipline, the heavy makeup worn by The Nurses, the list is endless. The blatantly overt sexual relationship between Burns and Houlihan would have been stamped on.
Factual error: In later episodes, in the officers' club, there is a Huey helicopter hanging from the ceiling. Hueys were not put into service till three years after the war ended.
Continuity mistake: In the first episodes, Col. Blake's wife is named Mildred, later her name is changed to Lorraine. (In case of confusion, when Col. Potter came to the 4077th, his wife was also named Mildred, but that's not relevant).
Continuity mistake: In the first season of M*A*S*H, Hawkeye mentions that his father lives in Vermont, in the later seasons his father lives in Crab Apple Cove, Maine and has never left there in 30 years.
Continuity mistake: At one time, Col. Potter talks about how his daughter is an only child. In a different episode, he mentions that his son's wife is having a baby.
Continuity mistake: There are two sets of the 4077 compound - the outside Fox Ranch set located at Malibu Creek State Park, and the second set inside the studio's Stage 9. The layout of both sets are quite different - Studio 9's set was vastly smaller than the Ranch set, so things such as the proximity of the Swamp to the mess tent are different between the shots filmed at the Ranch and shots filmed at Studio 9, when seen within the very same episodes.
Continuity mistake: In the pilot episode it says the year is 1950. In the episode "Radar's Report" in season 2 Radar says it's 1951, yet in the episode "A War for All Seasons" in season 9 we are told at the beginning of the episode they are going from 1950 to 1951.
Continuity mistake: In an early episode Hawkeye receives a sweater knitted by his sister. Subsequently in the show he has always been an only child.
Continuity mistake: In the episode "Change of Command", Potter asks Mulcahy if he "can do Methodist". In the episode "Period of Adjustment", Potter asks Mulcahy "You wouldn't lie to a Presbyterian, would you?" Just what denomination *is* Potter?
Factual error: In one episode in the hospital tent, Hawkeye hands a Hershey Chocolate Bar to a wounded soldier lying in bed. The back of the candy bar had a Universal Product Code (UPC) on it. UPCs were not used until the 1970s.
Factual error: Trapper John and Hawkeye have a still in the Swamp. Distilling gin requires water, juniper berries, flavourings, magnesium and potassium carbonate. Ordering any of these as "medical supplies" would have had both men court-martialled, as would distilling illicit alcohol in a military unit during the Koren war - with or without stolen medical supplies. The only alcohol available to them would have been via the bar in the officers' mess, and no MASH unit had one. Not one.
Deliberate mistake: These errors I assume were caused by the show running 3 times longer than the real war. Col. Potter arrived at MASH in September 1952 a year before the war ended, then a few months passed by Margaret got engaged for 8 months, then Frank Burns left and Charles took his place. In this time the war would have ended. In the final episode Margaret mentions Charles has been there for 2 years. Which means he would have arrived in 1951 a year before Trapper and Henry left and Col. Potter arrived. It's a lot to take in.
Character mistake: When Colonel Blake's wife is having a baby, he is on the phone with the hospital as tells them to tell 'Mildred' he loves her and will talk to her soon. His wife's name was Lorraine.
Continuity mistake: In the episode "It Happened One Night", Klinger has B Positive blood type. In the episode "C*A*V*E*", Klinger has AB Negative blood type. Blood types *never* change.
Other mistake: Across the show, several times doctors looking at an x-ray picture say things like, "Looks like he swallowed a whole junkyard" or "His belly is full of shrapnel." In fact, shrapnel, being metal fragments, should show up as clear white spots on the x-ray pictures, but none of that is visible in any of the x-rays shown throughout the show.
Factual error: Throughout the series, actors are seen wearing cuffless permapress fatigues. Neither cuffless nor permapress utilities were available until the 1970s.
Factual error: Throughout the series, there are repeated instances of "I Corps" being pronounced, "Eye Corps." Since Army corps are designated by Roman numerals, it should be pronounced, "First Corps." (I wonder how they would have pronounced "III Corps" or "XVII Corps?").
Continuity mistake: In early episodes, Margaret's father was dead. Later, he was alive and visited the camp. Also, in a early episode, Hawkeye writing to his father, tells him to send his love to his mother. Later, he tells Winchester his mother died when he was a child.
Continuity mistake: In one episode, Frank's middle initial is M, then later it's D. His full name was Franklin Delano Marion Burns.
Factual error: The Spot-A-Card pinball machine in the Officers' Club didn't come out until the 60's.
