A FORMER paratrooper from near Charlbury rubbed shoulders with Hollywood superstars Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf as he worked on new Second World War blockbuster Fury.

Paul Biddiss was a military adviser for extras in the movie, and said working on set in Shirburn, near Watlington, felt like he was still on the battlefield.

The 45-year-old led a boot camp to test whether 1,500 hopefuls could cope with the physical demands of pretending to be soldiers during filming.

Mr Biddiss, who used to be stationed at RAF Brize Norton, said: “I ran a section of soldiers and it was like a company in the Army. I told them that as soon as they had their uniform they were a soldier and would operate in the manner of a soldier.

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“Sometimes I would have to bark at them. I would find myself in uniform soaked through and covered in mud, and standing next to tanks, so it was like I had never left the Army.

“It’s given me a new lease of life and now I’m building up my name in the industry.”

Married dad-of-five Mr Biddiss joined the Parachute Regiment’s 3rd Batallion in 1988 and travelled the world, before retiring as a sergeant on December 12, 2012.

After retiring, he became a private investigator and bodyguard, before taking on a role as an extra in The Monuments Men, which was filmed near Henley in June last year.

He said he gave advice to the film’s star George Clooney for a battle scene and impressed the production team.

Mr Biddiss was invited to Pinewood Studios to meet producers for Fury and was eventually asked to be a military adviser on the film between August and December last year. It is directed by David Ayre and follows an American tank crew in Nazi Germany towards the end of the Second World War.

Oxford Mail:

Stars Brad Pitt, left, and Shia LaBeouf on the set in Shirburn, near Watlington, 

Mr Biddiss, who has since worked on TV series 24 and another dozen major film projects, said it was important to reflect the “brutality” of that period of the war.

He led a group of 1,500 men and put them through a gruelling training programme, as well as testing them on marching and tactics.

The best 300 people were selected to play American soldiers and a core group of 60 men were chosen as the main extras.

Mr Biddiss, who had a small role on screen and also worked with the main actors, said: “The directors wanted people who were physically robust and were ex-soldiers.

“I had to weed out all those who weren’t going to put up with long filming, sometimes lasting up to 15 hours a day, because it was very intense.

“Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and the other big actors were all nice blokes and down to earth. They all mucked in and did exactly the same on the ground as us.

“They were getting just as wet and tired as we were.”

The film will be released in the UK on Wednesday.

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