RICHARD TODDIrish-born Hollywood heart-throb Richard Todd, who fought in the Allied campaign during World War Two, died peacefully in his sleep on December 3, 2009, at the age of 90.He was probably best-known for his role in the The Dam Busters as Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Other films included The Hasty Heart - for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1949.He was born Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland, on 11 June, 1919. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was a doctor and also an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for his country.Mr Todd spent a few of his childhood years in India, where his father, a British officer, served as an army physician.Mr Todd trained for a military career himself at Sandhurst, but then went on to train as an actor at the Italia Conti stage school in London.However, just as his stage acting career was taking off, the Second World War broke out and Mr Todd volunteered for army service in the autumn of 1939.Initially, he had served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry before joining the Parachute Regiment and being assigned to the 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion as part of the British 6th Airborne Division.On 6 June 1944, now a Captain, he took part in the British Airborne Operation Tonga during the D-Day landings.Captain Todd was among the first British officers to land in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. His battalion were reinforcements that parachuted in after glider forces had landed and completed the main assault against Pegasus Bridge near Caen.He later met up with Major John Howard on Pegasus Bridge and helped repulse several German counter attacks. As an actor, Todd would later play Major Howard in the 1962 film The Longest Day.After the war Mr Todd enjoyed great success as a film actor. He was author Ian Fleming's first choice to play James Bond in Dr No - but a scheduling clash meant the part went to Sean Connery instead.He continued acting into his 80s and was awarded an OBE in 1993.In June 2009, Mr Todd was too frail to travel to Normandy for the D-Day commemorations. Instead a 90th birthday party was thrown for him at Grantham House in Lincolnshire attended by many military figures.
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