# \[Surviving\] public figures from WWII **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680 "2011-05-21T13:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/41 "2011-05-22T14:11:20Z")
> [@samjones](#): > > I was worried that if I were to refer to her as Queen then some pedantic jerk would feel entitled to educate me about 20th Century Royalty. Little did I know… To be fair, she would’ve had the curtesy title Princess Elizabeth of York when her father was the Duke of York, but of course, as we all now know, by the time of the start of WWII, Colin Fir.., ahem, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was King George, so QEII would have been just referred to as Princess Elizabeth. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/42 "2011-05-22T15:04:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > She was replaced by Elizabeth Sargent, with no explanation offered. Naah… she was a subaltern in the Territorial Forces during the war, not a sargent. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/43 "2011-05-22T15:27:21Z")
…and was Elizabeth “Monty’s” double. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/44 "2011-05-22T15:59:24Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > If you need to call her something, call her Queen Elizabeth the Second, or QE2 for short. There’s no need to invent names, she’s already _got_ a name that everyone knows. [QE II](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II), if you please. [QE 2 is a boat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Elizabeth_2). ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/45 "2011-05-22T18:29:20Z")
> [@samjones](#): > > Maybe I got it wrong, but I believe that’s her handle sans the changing royal title. What would you call her, Elizabeth Windsor? Even the reasonably well-informed might not have any idea who “Elizabeth of York” is if the preceding “Her Royal Highness Princess” is omitted. There is seldom any reason to employ non-standard usage in formal English, and referring to royalty by first name/last name, as in “Elizabeth Windsor” is not standard. The only case I definitely recall hearing of this construction being used was during the trial of Louis XVII, who was referred to as Louis _Capet_. I believe the Russian revolutionaries may have referred to Nicholas II as Nicholas _Romanov_. Getting back to the thread subject, numerous alternatives are considered standard, e.g.: Princess Elizabeth Princess Elizabeth of the UK Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth II (of the UK) Heir Apparent Princess Elizabeth (of the UK) BTW To her credit the young princess made herself useful during the war as a truck mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/46 "2011-05-22T21:02:41Z")
Many people know Bush 41 was a pilot who was shot down during WW II. What is not well known is he was nearly captured by the Japanese and taken to an island were many US prisoners were killed and in some cases eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/47 "2011-05-22T21:20:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Many people know Bush 41 was a pilot who was shot down during WW II. What is not well known is he was nearly captured by the Japanese and taken to an island were many US prisoners were killed and in some cases eaten. Who doesn’t like to eat Bush now and then? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/48 "2011-05-22T21:27:16Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Stan Musial was already a star ballplayer during the war. While not at all well, he’s still with us. Quite a few [baseball players here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_living_Major_League_Baseball_players), but not as well known as Stan the Man. I have heard of some of these players. Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter) has IMDB credits into the war years. Not sure how famous he was back then, though. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/49 "2011-05-22T21:47:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Who doesn’t like to eat Bush now and then? That’s just the kind of joke those kamikaze cannibals would have made had they gotten their mitts on him. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/50 "2011-05-22T23:36:08Z")
Esther Williams counts both as a sports figure and celebrity who was famous in WWII, and still somewhat famous today. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/51 "2011-05-23T00:06:32Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Yeah, but does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? I do and I’m fourteen and American. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/52 "2011-05-23T00:23:30Z")
How about Herman Wouk? He published his first book in 1947 but had started writing it during the war, and had worked as a radio dramatist in the 1930’s. ---
**Author:** ![samjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@samjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samjones)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/53 "2011-05-23T00:55:51Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Getting back to the thread subject, numerous alternatives are considered standard, e.g.: > > Princess Elizabeth > Princess Elizabeth of the UK > Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth II (of the UK) > Heir Apparent Princess Elizabeth (of the UK) Considered standard _BY YOU_ - but probably not by anybody who knows what they’re talking about. Certainly Elizabeth II’s reign extends to far more than just the UK. And I don’t know that she was ever “Hear Apparent” in her lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/54 "2011-05-23T01:25:31Z")
[Tony Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_%28entertainer%29) was pretty well known back then, and is still with us now, at 97. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/55 "2011-05-23T01:56:02Z")
Olivia de Haviland was quite well known before and during WWII. ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/56 "2011-05-23T03:34:28Z")
Saw this thread yesterday, and just came across this in a book today: King Michael of Romania (Well, he would have been a household name in Romania…) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/57 "2011-05-23T04:12:17Z")
[Tony Bennett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/58 "2011-05-23T07:20:30Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > [Tony Bennett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett) Didn’t have his first popular song until 1951. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/59 "2011-05-23T07:41:24Z")
Not sure _how_ famous he was at the time, but Les Paul was performing professionally in a band and on the radio, and had put out at least two albums, in the 30s. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680/60 "2011-05-23T07:59:25Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Not sure _how_ famous he was at the time, but Les Paul was performing professionally in a band and on the radio, and had put out at least two albums, in the 30s. Les Paul [died in 2009](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul). No Les, no more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-public-figures-from-wwii/582680.md?page=4)