Dad's Army Goes to War: The Cast and their Real Wartime Service

For decades the classic, evergreen BBC comedy Dad's Army has entertained millions of viewers around the world. But the farcical antics of Walmington-on-Sea’s bumbling Home Guard platoon camouflage the true military service of some of the actors themselves. Despite their light-hearted appearance, many of the cast saw active service in one, or even both, of the world wars – and much of it far from humorous.

The inspiration behind the sitcom was the experiences of one its writers, Jimmy Perry, ...