'King of Hollywood' Clark Gable danced and drank in Chichester pubs in The Eastgate and The Unicorn after emergency landing during WWII

From the home-grown Nicholas Lyndhurst, to Kate Winslet – it’s not entirely uncommon to spot a celebrity face in the area. But in the days of the Second World War, when homes were without televisions, Chichester residents were shocked to come across a man only ever seen on the silver screen.

The King of Hollywood, Clark Gable.

When the Second World War broke out the actor enlisted to serve in the US Air Force as a gunner and aerial camera man. On June 30, 1941, the B17 Bomber Aircraft Gable and his crew were flying made an emergency landing in an airfield in Apuldram.

The aircraft had been spotted over the area before landing safely and, while the four-engine bomber was being repaired nearby, Clark and the other airmen spent their evening attending local dances in the area including, according to local sources, in Unicorn House, where they danced into the night.

Other tales tell of the Gone With The Wind actor wandering over the road and putting his money behind the bar at The Eastgate in The Hornet much to the amazement of the pub’s regulars.

If you have further details of the visit by Clark Gable, his time spent in Chichester, and any photographs we would love to share them with our readers and to build as accurate a picture as possible of this movie legend’s rare appearance in Sussex.