Book: Howard kept Spain from joining WWII

Published: Oct. 6, 2008 at 8:49 PM MADRID, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- A new book claims British film star Leslie Howard was a secret agent killed after completing a covert mission to keep Spain out of World War II. Howard is best known for playing gentleman Ashley Wilkes in the 1939 cinema classic "Gone with the Wind." His other film credits include "Berkeley Square" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel." The Daily Telegraph said Spanish author Jose Rey-Ximena claimed the 50-year-old actor's plane was shot down by the Luftwaffe in 1943 as he was returning to England after a trip through Spain and Portugal as part of a secret mission ordered by then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Rey-Ximena said Howard's... [read full story]