Ian Yule obit

RIP ‘Wild Geese’ Star and Battle-Hardened Veteran Ian Yule

 

He was not on the list.

South African star and real life war hero Ian Yule has passed away. His exact age and cause of death aren’t known. Yule’s public profile was a little under the radar compared to most actors.

However his life is an extraordinary one, straight out of the pages of an adventure story in some ways.

He’s believed to have been born in Britain in 1933. Yule started life as an orphan. The couple who adopted him tragically perished in the London Blitz. He was then apparently raised by American military families before joining the Forces as a teenager in 1948.

The South African Legion website wrote in 2015: “the military has been the only family he knew.”

Yule’s service record included the Rhodesian Armed Forces and the South African Defence Force. He fought in the Korean War – where he became a prisoner of the North Koreans for over 2 years – and later witnessed the Suez Crisis.

Posting a tribute on Facebook, Fireforce Ventures mentions his military career as “an anti-communist warrior”. Yule ultimately made South Africa his home. It was a place “where his military expertise gave him an edge in the film and television world.”

At one point he fought as a mercenary in the Congo, under Col “Mad” Mike Hoare. This period is most notable for Yule, as Hoare influenced 1978 action classic ‘The Wild Geese’.

Yule played the character of Sgt Tosh Donaldson and enabled producer Euan Lloyd to meet his former boss. The mercenary leader’s Wild Goose flag and shoulder patch gave the production its title. Yule and Hoare worked as technical advisors.

The former appeared alongside Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore and others in this violent tale of a daring political rescue in Africa. It was based on the (then) unpublished novel ‘The Thin White Line’ by Daniel Carney. With colorful personalities like Burton and Harris on set, things weren’t exactly sedate.

Yule would have known that better than most. A year earlier he’d been involved in ‘Golden Rendezvous’ with Harris. Reportedly the mercurial talent sent the film over budget through a combination of alcohol consumption and script alterations.

His acting career lasted approx half a century. Yule’s big screen debut was in no less an epic than ‘Ben-Hur’ with Charlton Heston (1959), where he performed stunts. Twenty years later he appeared as Corporal Fields in ‘Zulu Dawn’. A prequel to ‘Zulu’ (1964), it featured Burt Lancaster who nearly starred in ‘The Wild Geese’.

Other films on Yule’s CV are Rhodesia-set prisoner drama ‘Shamwari’ (1982). Yule wrote the screenplay for ‘Shamwari’ and went uncredited for work on cult South African sci-fi flick ‘Space Mutiny (1988)’. 1989’s ‘River of Death’, like ‘Golden Rendezvous’, was an Alistair McLean adaptation. In the early 1990s Yule acted in 2 movies based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Lost World’.

Five years ago Yule was forced to sell his medals in order to raise funds for a trip back to Britain. Seeking support as an impoverished veteran, he was taken in by concerned parties and hospitalized. He reportedly suffered from severe arthritis, with various war wounds contributing to his general state. Yule was almost blind and deaf by this stage.

He passed away on Thursday in Chichester, according to Fireforce Ventures. Yule’s final years may not have been entirely happy ones, but glowing tributes have been posted online. Fireforce write: “There will never be another like him.”

Author and military historian Stephen Chambers describes his story as “the stuff of legend”.

Podcast ‘Fighting On Film’ announced they would be dedicating their Christmas ‘Wild Geese’ Special to the performer and veteran.

Numerous actors have played tough guys. Ian Yule lived it. He was the real deal. RIP.

Writer

River of Diamonds (1990)

River of Diamonds

4.5

screenplay

1990

 

Tolla is Tops

4.6

Writer

1990

 

Tawny Fere' Ellis, Richard Lynch, and James Ryan in Return to Justice (1990)

Return to Justice

4.6

based on an original screenplay by

1990

 

Space Mutiny (1988)

Space Mutiny

2.1

Writer (uncredited)

1988

 

Oliver Reed and James Ryan in Rage to Kill (1987)

Rage to Kill

4.2

co-writer

1987

 

Shamwari (1982)

Shamwari

5.2

story and screenplay

1982

 

The Diggers

TV Series

original story

1980

 

Actor

Der weisse Afrikaner (2004)

Der weisse Afrikaner

6.3

TV Series

Land Owner, Madagascar

2004

 

Check-in to Disaster

4.7

TV Movie

Wim Vanderbourgh

2001

 

Zugvögel der Liebe

2.8

TV Movie

George

2001

 

Brian O'Shaughnessy, Jürgen Schmidt, and Ian Yule in Die Spesenritter (1999)

Die Spesenritter

4.9

TV Movie

1999

 

Traitor's Heart (1999)

Traitor's Heart

3.6

Jack (barman)

1999

 

Cold Harvest (1999)

Cold Harvest

5.3

Video

Marshall

1999

 

Jim Fitzpatrick and Danny Lerner in Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target (1998)

Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target

4.7

General Alan Hightower

1998

 

Black Velvet Band (1997)

Black Velvet Band

5.9

TV Movie

Yeoman Warder

1997

 

Merchant of Death (1997)

Merchant of Death

4.2

Carl Pembroke

1997

 

Jim Varney in Ernest Goes to Africa (1997)

Ernest Goes to Africa

4.4

Video

Ol' Man At Flea Market

1997

 

Joe Lara in Tarzan: The Epic Adventures (1996)

Tarzan: The Epic Adventures

6.1

TV Series

Manlan

1997

1 episode

 

Frank Zagarino in Orion's Key (1996)

Orion's Key

3.6

Odd Job

1996

 

Warhead (1996)

Warhead

4.2

Colonel #1

1996

 

Danger Coast

TV Mini Series

1995

 

Bryan Genesse and Frank Zagarino in Cyborg Cop III (1995)

Cyborg Cop III

3.5

Harvey

1995

 

Lunarcop (1995)

Lunarcop

4.4

Lester

1995

 

Dark Desires: Thelma

3.9

TV Movie

Sam Garfield

1994

 

Point of Impact (1993)

Point of Impact

3.6

Martin Cullen

1993

 

Eric McCormack, Tamara Gorski, and John Rhys-Davies in Return to the Lost World (1992)

Return to the Lost World

5.0

Peterson

1992

 

David Warner, Eric McCormack, Tamara Gorski, Darren Peter Mercer, John Rhys-Davies, and Nathania Stanford in The Lost World (1992)

The Lost World

5.3

Peterson

1992

 

Young Survivors (1990)

Young Survivors

TV Movie

Ginger

1990

 

Accidents (1989)

Accidents

4.6

Warren Zimmer

1989

 

Donald Pleasence and Michael Dudikoff in River of Death (1989)

River of Death

4.5

Long John Silver

1989

 

Diamond in the Rough (1988)

Diamond in the Rough

3.8

Ian

1988

 

Oliver Reed and James Ryan in Rage to Kill (1987)

Rage to Kill

4.2

Solly Slade

1987

 

City of Blood (1987)

City of Blood

3.2

Max Wharton

1987

 

Die Mannheim-Sage

TV Series

British soldier (1986)

1986

 

John Hurt, Wayne Crawford, and Karen Kopins in Jake Speed (1986)

Jake Speed

4.9

Bill Smith

1986

 

The Lion's Share (1985)

The Lion's Share

5.2

Scotty (voice, uncredited)

1985

 

River Horse Lake (1984)

River Horse Lake

TV Series

Ogle (1984)

1984

 

1922 (1984)

1922

5.5

TV Series

Ivan Macready (1984)

1984

 

Auf Achse (1980)

Auf Achse

7.0

TV Series

Georg (as Jan Yule)

1983

1 episode

 

For King and Country

TV Movie

Sergeant Major

1983

 

The Riverman

TV Mini Series

Jim (1983)

1983

 

Town Guard

TV Series

(1983)

1983

 

David Broadnax in Mister Deathman (1983)

Mister Deathman

5.3

Bill

1983

 

Miss Candida

TV Series

Harv (1982)

1982

 

Safari 3000 (1982)

Safari 3000

4.7

Freddie Selkirk

1982

 

Shamwari (1982)

Shamwari

5.2

Bill Matthews

1982

 

Westgate II

TV Series

Steiger (1982)

1982

 

Oh George!

TV Series

Ad agency manager (1981)

1981

 

The Diggers

TV Series

Benny Franks

1980

 

Zulu Dawn (1979)

Zulu Dawn

6.6

Cpl. Fields

1979

 

Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger in The Wild Geese (1978)

The Wild Geese

6.8

Tosh Donaldson

1978

 

Golden Rendezvous (1977)

Golden Rendezvous

5.4

McCloskey

1977

 

The Pawn (1977)

The Pawn

5.9

TV Mini Series

Ralph (as Jean Yule)

1977

1 episode

 

Christopher Lee, Maud Adams, Peter Fonda, Telly Savalas, O.J. Simpson, and Hugh O'Brian in Killer Force (1976)

Killer Force

5.5

Edward Woods

1976

 

One Away (1976)

One Away

4.6

Stiffy

1976

 

De Wet's Spoor

Maj. Coleridge

1975

 

Sell a Million

Knuckles

1975

 

Olie Kolonie

1975

 

Hartmut Becker in John Ralling - Abenteuer um Diamanten (1975)

John Ralling - Abenteuer um Diamanten

TV Series

1975

1 episode

 

Härte 10 (1974)

Härte 10

6.9

TV Mini Series

Kimble

1975

1 episode

 

Vreemde Wêreld (1974)

Vreemde Wêreld

6.7

Homicidal mental patient

1974

 

Dr. med. Mark Wedmann - Detektiv inbegriffen

TV Series

Jack

1974

1 episode

 

The Big Game (1973)

The Big Game

4.4

Officer in Command

1973

 

Dog Squad (1973)

Dog Squad

Marko

1973

 

My Way (1972)

My Way

7.0

Andy Wilson

1972

 

Die Banneling

Dekker

1971

 

Vengeance Cops (1971)

Vengeance Cops

5.5

Con Cavallas

1971

 

Shangani Patrol (1970)

Shangani Patrol

7.9

Trooper Dillon

1970

 

Banana Beach

1970

 

Tippi Hedren and George Montgomery in Satan's Harvest (1970)

Satan's Harvest

3.6

Jonas Wade

Jake Wade

1970

 

Stop Exchange (1970)

Stop Exchange

Lefty

1970

 

Scotty & Co.

Snowy

1970

 

Danie Bosman: Die verhaal van die grootste S.A. komponis

Patrick, barman

1969

 

Schatzsucher unserer Tage

8.1

TV Series

Freddy

1968

12 episodes

 

Majuba: Heuwel van Duiwe (1968)

Majuba: Heuwel van Duiwe

7.1

Deserter

1968

 

Dr Kalie

7.5

Wall of Death Barker

1968

 

Jamie Uys in The Professor and the Beauty Queen (1967)

The Professor and the Beauty Queen

7.5

Ed, Henchman 2

1967

 

Wild Season (1967)

Wild Season

7.6

Andy Wilson

1967

 

Special Effects

Shamwari (1982)

Shamwari

5.2

special effects coordinator

1982

 

Stunts

Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger in The Wild Geese (1978)

The Wild Geese

6.8

stunts (uncredited)

1978

 

Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Sean Connery, Sal Mineo, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Red Buttons, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Paul Anka, Arletty, Mel Ferrer, Steve Forrest, Gert Fröbe, Fabian, Jean-Louis Barrault, Bourvil, Ray Danton, Irina Demick, Leo Genn, Henry Grace, John Gregson, Paul Hartmann, Werner Hinz, Curd Jürgens, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Christian Marquand, Kenneth More, Edmond O'Brien, Ron Randell, Madeleine Renaud, Robert Ryan, Tommy Sands, Richard Todd, Tom Tryon, Peter van Eyck, and Stuart Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day

7.7

stunts (uncredited)

1962

 

Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur

8.1

stunts (uncredited)

1959

 

Self

Funny People 2 (1983)

Funny People 2

5.6

Self - actor at interview (uncredited)

1983

 

Africa: Blood and Guts (1966)

Africa: Blood and Guts

7.0

Self (uncredited)

1966