Leslie Howard Dies

June 2, 1943 - Leslie Howard was a British actor. He starred in many Broadway shows and Hollywood films, but he is probably most remembered for his role as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind. What most people don't remember is that he died on this day.

His plane was shot down by eight German Junkers. 12 others also perished in the crash.

One theory was that the Nazis believed that Winston Churchill was aboard the DC-3 as it crossed the Bay of Biscay. Another more plausible scenario is that the German propaganda machine targeted Howard in the attack. He had appeared in many anti-Nazi broadcasts in support of the British war effort.