 When World War II broke out , Shaw took a break from acting and joined the Royal Air Force . He was commissioned as an Acting @-@ Pilot Officer on probation in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch on 25 April 1941 and over the next three months was promoted to Pilot Officer on probation , then Flying Officer and then Flight Lieutenant . According to his obituary in the Guardian , he saw little action in the service and was told the only chance he would have to fly would be as a rear gunner . Some of his fellow airmen hounded Shaw for autographs while others mocked his posh accent , to which he retaliated with an excellent and unflattering imitation of their less refined speech . He continued to hold a Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve commission after the war until he resigned the commission on 10 February 1954 ; he was permitted to retain his rank . 
