What Happened To Anders Lassen After The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Summary Alan Ritchson shines as ultra-violent commando Anders Lassen in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare with a semi-accurate portrayal of his fearless reputation.

Anders Lassen's military career extended beyond Operation Postmaster, and he rose to the rank of major in the SAS while achieving numerous military decorations.

Anders Lassen's bravery and valor led to his posthumous award of the Victoria Cross for his heroics during Operation Roast in WWII.

Alan Ritchson owns the screen in The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare as the merry yet ultra-violent Anders Lassen, a real-world commando whose exploits made him one of the most decorated Danish soldiers of World War II. Inspired by the true story of Operation Postmaster, Guy Ritchie's heavily fictionalized action spy comedy chronicles the first special ops mission in history, which was executed by a talented group of soldiers to combat the Nazis. In the movie, Alan Ritchson's Anders Lassen acts as the team's fearless and most prolific killer, which aligns with the reputation of the real Anders Lassen.

Anders Lassen joined WWII as a sailor and soldier, and developed a reputation as an elite marksman. He also reportedly had a temper, and found himself frequently bored by traditional military training and operations. That undoubtedly played a role in how the Danish soldier was portrayed in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as Alan Ritchson asked the movie's director for way more violence for his character. His knowledge of the sea got him involved with Gus March-Phillipps' No. 62 Commandos, and led to his participation in Operation Postmaster. But his exploits as a soldier extended well past that first mission.

Related Where To Watch The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Showtimes & Streaming Status Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie's WWII movie is here, and there are different options for where to watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Anders Lassen's Military Career After The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The decorated Danish soldier continued to fight the Nazis.

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Per the Anders Lassen Foundation, a year after Operation Postmaster and several months after the death of the unit's founder, Gus March-Phillipps, the No. 62 Commando unit was disbanded, and its members were dispersed to new units within the British military. Anders Lassen was dispatched to the Middle East to serve in an elite commando unit of the Royal Navy, the Special Boat Section, before being transferred to the Special Air Service. Lassen rose to the rank of major as part of the SAS, executing a number of dangerous missions against German and Italian forces that plagued the Mediterranean Sea.

Born in 1920, Anders Lassen was just 22 at the time of Operation Postmaster, and impresively achieved the rank of major at just 24 years of age.

For his participation in Operation Postmaster, Anders Lassen was elevated from private to 2nd Lieutenant by Gus March-Phillipps while still in the field, and the British government awarded him the Military Cross, one of Britain's top military decorations. His exploits after Operation Postmaster led to him adding two bars to his Military Cross in addition to recognition from Denmark and the Greek Cross from the government of Greece, as Lassen played a key role in the liberation of Greece. He even served as the governor of the island of Crete to maintain the peace there for a short time.

Anders Lassen Died In 1945 During Operation Roast

The commando met his end in the final days of WWII.

Anders Lassen did not live to see the end of WWII, as he was killed in action in Italy in April 1945. As part of Operation Roast, Lassen and two scouts were deployed to Lake Comacchio in Northern Italy to sow chaos and create a diversion. While the mission was ultimately a failure, Lassen displayed exceptional bravery by charging alone at multiple German machine gun positions with grenades. In total, Lassen took out eight German soldiers, captured two others and neutralized six machine guns single-handedly.

Lassen was cut down by machine gun fire as he took the third nest, and refused to be taken away for treatment as it would further endanger his soldiers' lives to do so. For his bravery, Lassen was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prestigious military decoration for valor. Lassen was the only individual who was not a member of the British Commonwealth to be awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II. Alan Ritchson's portrayal in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, may seem exaggerated, but the real Anders Lassen was every bit as courageous as his on-screen counterpart.

Source: Anders Lassen Foundation