The Last Salute


The Last Salute is a British comedy television series which first aired on BBC One 15 March 1998 to 29 August 1999. The series follows the misadventures of an AA patrolman in Hampshire in the early 1960s.
Actors who appeared in various episodes include Christopher Villiers, Hilary Mason, John Junkin, Eva Gray, Lill Roughley, Paul Brooke, Christopher Benjamin, Frances White, and Geoffrey Beevers.

Plot summary

Set in 1961, during the days of happy motoring and when AA patrolmen were duty-bound to salute to every passing passenger that bore an AA badge on their vehicle. The story focuses on a hapless AA patrolman Harry Thorpe, who has troubles with his job and frequently has problems with his superior AA Inspector Leonard Spanwick, whom also happens to lives in a caravan in Harry's back garden and is romantically involved with his blowsy sister Joyce. Leonard often makes Harry's life difficult, and he struggles to keep his local branch afloat and recruit new members, which is compounded by the intense competition from the rival RAC organisation, who are keen to drain away their trade. Although he is dedicated to his job, Harry often has difficulty trying to keep up to date with some of the organisation's advancements over recent years.

Main cast