Transportation and Installation

James Doohan “Scotty”

That evening, Doohan was hit by machine-gun fire when returning to his command post after enjoying a cigarette. Four rounds hit his leg, one passed through his right middle finger and one hit him in the chest, deflecting off the lucky cigarette case given to him by his brother. Later, his right middle finger would have to be amputated, an injury he would often conceal on-screen throughout his career.

After convalescing in England, he graduated as an air observation pilot and flew Taylorcraft Auster Mark V aircraft for 666 Squadron, RCAF. Although 666 Squadron RCAF was not sent into combat, the unit was stationed in Apeldoorn, Holland through the summer of 1945 to conduct “air taxi” duties. Doohan was once labeled the “craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force” when in the late spring of 1945, on Salisbury Plain north of Andover, he flew an Auster Mark IV between two telegraph poles just “to prove it could be done”.

During his service, Doohan often mingled with Scottish troops. He became particularly friendly with some from Aberdeen, and later said this is what inspired Montgomery Scott’s accent. He recalled, “I decided to give Scotty an Aberdeen accent, which was something I had learned when I was sent over to England during the war. While I was there, I met this fellow from Aberdeen; and I couldn’t understand one word he said! But I did learn that accent from him and that was the one I used for Scotty.”