Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, James Doohan guest stars in "The Warriors," episode 21 of the single season of The Gallant Men (original air date February 23, 1963).
In this WWII drama, Doohan plays Captain Blagdon, a stranded British officer the main characters, a trio of embedded war correspondents, pick up on their way to R&R before their Jeep is destroyed by enemy fire. They meet up with a ragtag band of other stray Allied soldiers - American, British, and Canadian - and hole up in a farmhouse near a bombed-out radio post where they can signal for aid.
Blagdon, starchy, middle-aged, and by-the-book, has just been transferred to the field from an administrative post and admits he is out of his depth, but as the senior officer present he assumes command of the group. One man is killed and another wounded due to his unpopular decision to stay and radio vital information they discover about the enemy's position instead of seeking deeper cover. However, when rescuing forces come they learn that many more lives were saved as a result. The news is cold comfort to Blagdon, who is feeling the burden of command very heavily.
Other Trek connections under the cut:
