Wake Up Walmington

"Wake Up Walmington"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series Nine Episode 075
Directed by	Bob Spiers
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Produced by	David Croft
Original air date	2/10/1977 (recorded 8/7/1977)
Running time	30 minutes

Wake up Walmington is the first episode of the ninth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 2 October 1977.

Synopsis

Complacency is setting in amongst the townsfolk, so Mainwaring devises "Operation Wake-Up". He gets his platoon to masquerade as fifth columnists in "very sinister clothes" to shake everyone up.

He and his men (except Godfrey, who stays at the church hall to act as their contact man) dress up as "cut-throats and desperadoes" and begin roaming the countryside, acting menacingly. Their efforts to frighten the locals are unsuccessful at first, despite their attempts to put on foreign accents.

However, when at last they finally do manage to cause some concern with their talk of "blowing up an aerodrome", the frightened locals send out for the Home Guard. With Mainwaring's platoon being obviously absent from their post, the neighbouring Eastgate platoon under Captain Square are called out, using Jones's van — which is still at the church hall — as transport. Tracking Mainwaring down to the disused flourmill they are using as their base, he and his men open fire, covering them in flour. The episode ends with Mainwaring and Square exchanging insults.

Notes

Pike dresses up as a Chicago gangster, based on films like Scarface. Mainwaring wore an eye-patch. Jones, taking the whole thing too far, dresses up as a nun. In the war there were numerous reports that German parachutists were disguising themselves as nuns, something referenced several times in the series.
This was Captain Square's last appearance in the programme. There is also a significant detail when, at a country pub a few miles outside Walmington, one character describes Dover as being about 20 miles away.

Cast

Dad's Army

Characters

Television
episodes

Series 1	The Man and the Hour Museum Piece Command Decision The Enemy Within the Gates The Showing Up of Corporal Jones Shooting Pains

Series 2	Operation Kilt The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret A Stripe for Frazer† Under Fire

Series 3	The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones Battle School The Lion Has Phones The Bullet is Not for Firing Something Nasty in the Vault Room at the Bottom Big Guns The Day the Balloon Went Up War Dance Menace from the Deep Branded Man Hunt No Spring for Frazer Sons of the Sea

Series 4	The Big Parade Don't Forget the Diver Boots, Boots, Boots Sgt – Save My Boy! Don't Fence Me In Absent Friends Put That Light Out! The Two and a Half Feathers Mum's Army The Test A. Wilson (Manager)? Uninvited Guests Fallen Idol

Series 5	Asleep in the Deep Keep Young and Beautiful A Soldier's Farewell Getting the Bird The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones If the Cap Fits... The King was in his Counting House All is Safely Gathered In When Did You Last See Your Money? Brain Versus Brawn A Brush with the Law Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel Time on My Hands

Series 6	The Deadly Attachment My British Buddy The Royal Train We Know Our Onions The Honourable Man Things that Go Bump in the Night The Recruit

Series 7	Everybody's Trucking A Man of Action Gorilla Warfare The Godiva Affair The Captain's Car Turkey Dinner

Series 8	Ring Dem Bells When You've Got to Go Is There Honey Still for Tea? Come In, Your Time Is Up High Finance The Face on the Poster

Series 9	Wake Up Walmington The Making of Private Pike Knights of Madness The Miser's Hoard Number Engaged Never Too Old

Specials	Santa On Patrol Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages Cornish Floral Dance Battle of the Giants! Broadcast to the Empire My Brother and I The Love of Three Oranges