Dad's Army

Premise

Characters

Main characters

• Captain George Mainwaring , the pompous, if essentially brave and unerringly patriotic, local bank manager. Mainwaring appointed himself leader of his town's contingent of Local Defence Volunteers. He had been a lieutenant in the First World War but is embarrassed by the fact that he never saw combat, only being sent to France in 1919 after the Armistice, as part of the Army of Occupation in Germany. The character, along with Wilson, also appeared in the original pilot episode of the radio series It Sticks Out Half a Mile.
• Sergeant Arthur Wilson, a diffident, upper-middle-class chief bank clerk who often quietly questions Mainwaring's judgement. Wilson had actually served as a captain during the First World War, but he only reveals this in the final episode. He does not live with the Pike family, but is implied to be in a relationship with the widowed Mrs Pike. Wilson also appears in the later radio series It Sticks Out Half a Mile.
• Lance Corporal Jack Jones, the local butcher, born in 1870. Jones is an old campaigner who enlisted as a drummer boy at the age of 14 and participated, as a boy soldier, in the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884–85 and, as an adult, in Kitchener's campaign in the Sudan in 1896–98. Jones also served during the Boer War and the Great War. He often suffers from the effects of malaria caught during one of his campaigns and has to be calmed during his "shudders". Often seen as fastidious and a worrier, he has a number of catchphrases, including "They don't like it up 'em!" and "Don't panic, don't panic!", which he says whilst panicking. Dunn was considerably younger than his character, being only 48 when the series began. This meant he often performed the physical comedy of the show, which some of the older cast members were no longer capable of.
• Private James Frazer, a dour Scottish former chief petty officer on HMS Defiant in the Royal Navy. He served at the Battle of Jutland as a ship's cook and also has a medal for having served on Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. He grew up on the Isle of Barra and is prone to theatrical poetry. In episode one, he states that he owns a philately shop, but subsequently his profession is changed to an undertaker. His catchphrase is "We're doomed. Doomed!"
• Private Joe Walker, a black market spiv, Walker is one of only two able-bodied men of military age among the main characters. Possessing a cheeky and relaxed cockney demeanour, Walker is often shown making jokey comments at Mainwaring's expense, a habit the latter, when in earshot of the joke, chides him for but rarely takes offence at. In the first episode, Walker claims he was not called up to the regular army because he was in a reserved occupation as a wholesale supplier. In one of the missing episodes Walker is finally called up, but is subsequently medically discharged from the British Army during basic training, when it is discovered he has an allergy to corned beef. Although always on the lookout to make money, Walker is also seen to support local charities, including a children's home. Following James Beck's death in 1973, Walker was written out of the series.
• Private Charles Godfrey, a retired shop assistant who had worked at the Army & Navy Stores in London. He lives in Walmington with his elderly sisters and serves as the platoon's medical orderly. He has a weak bladder and often needs to "be excused". A conscientious objector during the First World War, he was nevertheless awarded the Military Medal for heroic actions as a combat medic during the Battle of the Somme. He also demonstrates bravery during his Home Guard service, particularly during the "Branded" episode in which Mainwaring, unconscious in a smoke-filled room, is rescued by Godfrey.
• Private Frank Pike, the youngest of the platoon. He is a cosseted, somewhat immature mother's boy, often wearing a thick scarf over his uniform to prevent illness, and is a frequent target for Mainwaring's derision. In series eight, Pike is finally called up to the RAF; however, during his physical examination, it is discovered that he has a very rare blood type, and he is subsequently excused from service for this reason. He works in his day job as an assistant bank clerk for Mainwaring. He frequently addresses Sergeant Wilson as "Uncle Arthur". However, on the last day of filming, David Croft confirmed to Lavender that Wilson was in fact Pike's father. Pike would later appear in the radio series It Sticks Out Half a Mile.

  Supporting characters

• Chief ARP Warden William Hodges, the platoon's major rival and nemesis. He calls Mainwaring "Napoleon". Mainwaring looks down on him as the local greengrocer and dislikes the fact that Hodges saw active service in the First World War. As an Air Raid Precautions warden, Hodges is always demanding that people " Put that light out!". He often calls the platoon "Ruddy hooligans!". The character of Hodges would later appear in the radio series It Sticks Out Half a Mile.
• Reverend Timothy Farthing, the effete, petulant vicar of St Aldhelm's Church. He reluctantly shares his church hall and office with the platoon. In several episodes of the series, it was implied that the character was a non-active closet gay.
• Maurice Yeatman, the verger at St Aldhelm's Church and Scoutmaster of the local Sea Scout troop. He is often hostile to the platoon while frequently sycophantic towards the vicar. Despite this, the vicar often struggles to tolerate the verger and frequently employs the catchphrase "Oh do be quiet, Mr Yeatman!". He often sides with Hodges to undermine the platoon's activities.
• Mrs Mavis Pike, Pike's overbearing widowed mother, who is often implied to be in a relationship with Sergeant Wilson. Liz Fraser replaced Janet Davies in the 1971 film version.
• Mrs Fox, a glamorous widow. There is a mutual attraction with Corporal Jones and the couple marry in the last episode. Illicit little "extras" are passed across the counter on her regular visits to Jones's butcher's shop and she helps the platoon with official functions. In the episode "Mum's Army", she gives her first name as Marcia, but by the final episode she is addressed as Mildred.
• Colonel Pritchard, Captain Mainwaring's superior officer. A stern, serious man, he unexpectedly appears to admire Mainwaring, frequently commenting on his successes and warning people not to underestimate him.
• Private Sponge, a sheep farmer. He leads the members of the platoon's second section and thus had only occasional speaking parts, although he became more prominent in later series. He appeared in 76 of the 80 episodes.
• Mr Claude Gordon, the Walmington town clerk often involved when the platoon is taking part in local parades and displays. Although generally civil with Captain Mainwaring and his men, he is an officious and somewhat pompous individual, and Hodges tends to use him to try and interfere with the platoon's activities.
• Private Cheeseman, a Welshman who works for the town newspaper. He joined the Walmington-on-Sea platoon during the seventh series only after the sudden death of James Beck, who played Private Walker.
• Captain Square, the pompous commanding officer of the rival Eastgate platoon, and a former regular soldier who served with Lawrence of Arabia during the First World War. He is frequently at loggerheads with Mainwaring and has the catchphrase "You blithering idiot!".
• Mrs Yeatman, the somewhat tyrannical wife of Maurice Yeatman, the verger. In his book: The Complete A-Z of Dad's Army, entertainment journalist Richard Webber lists Mrs. Yeatman's first name as Anthea, however Webber notes that over the course of the series, her first name is also given as Beryl, or Tracey, and that in early scripts, before any recording, she is referred to as Mrs. Harman.
• Mr Sidney Bluett, an elderly local man who is occasionally involved with the antics of both the platoon and Hodges. He and Mrs Yeatman are implied to be having an affair.
• Miss Janet King, a clerk at Swallow Bank who works with Mainwaring, Wilson, and Pike in the first series.
• Edith Parish, also called Shirley, a cinema usherette and girlfriend of Private Walker.
• Dolly and Cissy Godfrey, Private Godfrey's spinster sisters, who reside with him at their cottage.
• Elizabeth Mainwaring, George Mainwaring's reclusive, paranoid and domineering wife who is never seen onscreen in the TV series. Her marriage to George is not a happy one and he does his best to avoid her at any opportunity. They have no children. Mrs Mainwaring had a significant on screen role in the 2016 film.