Red, White, and Blue Thunder

Did You know - James Doohan was shot 6 times and lost a finger during the D-Day landings? Desperate to hide this fact, he performed his duties on the Star Ship Enterprise with his hand concealed or was 'hand doubled' by a fellow actor. For other appearances, he wore a flesh-coloured glove with a fake digit to reassure fans the star ship was in safe hands.

Eagle-eyed Trekkies have spotted Doohan's missing finger in less composed shots, including the 1967 'Cats Paw' episode and 1967's 'The Trouble with Tribbles'.

Doohan's D-Day Experiences:

Landing on Juno Beach:

Doohan and his unit landed on Juno Beach on D-Day, facing initial resistance from German forces.

Leading his men:

He led his men through a minefield and into a defensive position.

Wounded on D-Day:

Later that evening, Doohan was shot six times by a nervous Canadian sentry who mistook him for the enemy.

Survived the attack:

One bullet was stopped by his cigarette case, and his right middle finger had to be amputated.

Pilot and Observation Officer:

Doohan was also a pilot and Artillery Forward Observation Officer (FOO) and later trained to fly aircraft.