A national newspaper has just reported that the Christmas truce between the British and Germans in 1914 was far removed from what we have traditionally been led to believe. Other popular misconceptions about war concern the Dunkirk evacuation, the great escape, and the dam busters.
Something which is not shown in the 1963 film The Great Escape is that many British POWs refused to take part in the escape because they were happy to be no longer taking an active part in the war. Life in Stalag Luft III was far from luxurious, but those who escaped ran the very serious risk of being returned to active service, with a risk of death or injury.
Likewise the 1955 film The Dam Busters overstates the willingness of bomber crews to take part in dangerous missions, and does not mention that many civilians died or were made homeless as a result of the floods caused by the bombings.
I accept that films are primarily about entertainment rather than historical accuracy, but it is also fair to point out that some misconceptions are more harmful than others.
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