Gerard Glaister

Who was Gerard Glaister?

John Leslie "Gerard" Glaister DFC was a British television producer and director best known for his work with the BBC. Amongst his most notable successes as a TV producer were Colditz, The Brothers, Secret Army and Howards' Way.

After studying at RADA, Glaister made his West End debut in 1939. With the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Air Force, initially flying a Blenheim bomber and later serving as a photo reconnaissance pilot in the Western Desert. It was during these latter duties that he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Glaister later drew on his RAF experiences when, in 1963, he produced Moonstrike, a drama about an RAF squadron which ferried agents in and out of occupied Europe.