James Doohan, who courageously served in World War II before embarking on a career that brought him to the outer reaches of space (on television), became a role model for countless future engineers. His adventures inspired many, including a future astronaut who would later walk on the moon. Although not of Scottish descent, Doohan mastered the now-legendary accent, and he remains one of the most revered military veterans to achieve fame on TV.
James Doohan’s entry into the Canadian Army
James Montgomery “Jimmy” Doohan was born on March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Irish immigrant parents. His father, William, worked as a pharmacist and is believed to have developed a type of high-octane fuel in 1923, though this claim remains unconfirmed. Nonetheless, Doohan’s early years were influenced by a strong emphasis on science and innovation.
After his family moved to Ontario, Doohan attended the Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School, where he excelled in mathematics and science. In 1938, he joined the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, eventually progressing to the Royal Canadian Artillery, 14th (Midland) Field Battery, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.
Showing exceptional skill, Doohan was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 22nd Field Battery, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and later received training in England.
Preparing to land at Juno Beach
Fast forward to June 6, 1944: D-Day. The British, American and Canadian forces were assigned specific sectors along Normandy’s coastline for the amphibious landings. The Canadians, in particular, were charged with capturing Juno Beach, the stretch of shore between Courseulles-sur-Mer and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer.
James Doohan’s unit was given the challenging mission of advancing west of Caen, where they encountered two battalions from the German 716th Infantry Division, along with fortified troops from the 21st Panzer Division near Caen. Adding to the difficulty, the beaches were heavily mined with anti-tank explosives.
The previous night, Allied aircraft had bombed German positions, intending to weaken defenses before the Canadians landed under the cover of darkness, before dawn. However, due to poor weather and low visibility, the aerial bombardment was less effective than expected, leaving much of Juno Beach’s coastal defenses intact.
James Doohan took out two German snipers on D-Day
It got worse. Rough weather and high waves delayed the landings until well after the sun had risen on June 6, 1944. Out at sea, James Doohan felt queasy, but it wasn’t because of what lay ahead. He later told the Associated Press, “We were more afraid of drowning than [we were of] the Germans.”
Once the risk of drowning was behind them, what lay ahead for the Canadians proved to be much worse. The first group reached Juno Beach at 7:35 AM and were quickly cut down.
Fortunately for them, the light cruiser HMS Ajax (22) had bombarded Juno Beach earlier, doing more damage to the coastal defenses than the aircraft had. After two hours, the Canadians had swept aside most of the Germans along their stretch of the beach. Doohan led his men across the sands and got lucky, as none of the anti-tank mines went off, as the men weren’t heavy enough to activate them.
As they made their way to higher ground, Doohan shot two German snipers – his first kills of the war. By noon, they’d secured their positions. However, they now had a new problem. The beach was so thick with Canadians that the later arrivals couldn’t advance. As darkness fell, there was a risk they’d mistake comrades for the enemy and end up shooting at each other.
This was exactly what happened, not only at Juno Beach, but at the other landing beaches.
James Doohan suffered six bullet wounds
Around 11:20 PM, James Doohan finished his smoke break, giving a reassuring pat to the cigarette case tucked in his shirt pocket – a gift from his brother that he considered a lucky charm. This turned out to be fortuitous moments later when, as he returned to his command post, he was suddenly hit by a spray of bullets from a Bren light machine gun. Four rounds struck his leg, a fifth hit his chest and the sixth severed his right middle finger.
The shooter wasn’t a German sniper, but an overly eager Canadian sentry. Fortunately, the cigarette case absorbed the potentially lethal shot aimed at Doohan’s chest. Reflecting on the incident later, the actor humorously remarked that it was the only time his smoking habit had saved his life.
‘Craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force’
After recovering from his injuries, James Doohan learned to fly a Taylorcraft Auster Mark IV for the No. 666 Squadron RAF. By this point, he was an officer in the Royal Canadian Artillery, supporting the 1st Army Group Royal Artillery at RAF Andover, Hampshire.
In early 1945, Doohan flew his aircraft between two telegraph poles, just to prove it could be done. He got in trouble for that, and everyone called him the “craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force.”
James Doohan goes from the Canadian Army to outer space
After the Second World War, James Doohan returned to Canada. Upon hearing a radio drama, he believed he could do a better job than the voice actors featured and switched his focus of study from technical schooling to drama. His first job was with CBC radio. He ultimately went on to do 4,000 shows on radio and 450 on television, earning a reputation as the most versatile voice actor in the business.
In 1965, Doohan was assured of a place in film history when he landed – and helped develop – the role of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in Star Trek. In addition to playing the role of chief engineer for the starship Enterprise, Doohan also helped create the Klingon and Vulcan languages for the show.
Doohan became so iconic that fans credited him with their interest in engineering, astronomy and other technical fields. Among these was the engineer-turned-astronaut Neil Armstrong, who personally thanked Doohan in 2004.
More from us: Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry Faced Death Twice While In the US Army Air Forces
New! Want to become a trivia master? Sign up for our War History Fact of the Day newsletter!
Doohan died in 2005. To honor him, a Falcon 9 launch vehicle took some of his ashes into space. Two years later, the Scottish town of Linlithgow claimed him as one of their own with a predictive commemorative plaque. “Predictive” because it claims he will be born there on 2222.