Drafted to fight in the German army during the Second World War, he bravely abandoned his post after nearly being executed when he refused to ambush a group of US soldiers. Hardy Krüger, who has died aged 93, went on to find fame in blockbuster Hollywood films including A Bridge Too Far, the Flight of the Phoenix and the Wild Geese - before launching a second career as a popular author. The star, who retired from the screen in the late 1980s, died at his home in California on Wednesday.