Sergeant Arthur Wilson

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Sergeant Arthur Wilson is a fictional

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

platoon sergeant and bank chief clerk, first portrayed by

John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation c ...

in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...

''.

Background

Wilson was born in 1887, and is carefree, cheerful and well-spoken, although more complex than he first seems. He is chief clerk of the Walmington-on-Sea bank and captain of the

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

club. He has an upper-middle-class background; his uncle was a

peer of the realm A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom. Notable examples are: * a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer * a member of the ...

, his father had a career in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, and Wilson often recalls fond memories of his nanny. He was educated at a public school named Meadow Bridge, having failed the entrance exam for Harrow.Webber, Perry, Croft, p.228 He was destined for the

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

but failed that exam too. The final episode reveals Wilson to have reached the rank of captain in the

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers R ...

whilst serving in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Captain Mainwaring Captain George Mainwaring () is a fictional Home Guard captain, first portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. In the 2016 movie he is played by Toby Jones and in the 2019 remake of three missing episodes he is p ...

, Wilson's senior in the Home Guard and in the bank, envies and resents Wilson's privileged background and once compared Wilson with

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

, because he could never face responsibilities. These include

Private Pike Private Frank Pike is a fictional Home Guard private and junior bank clerk, first portrayed by actor Ian Lavender in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. He was appointed as the platoon's information officer by Captain Mainwaring in The Man ...

, who worships his "Uncle Arthur" but may be Wilson's son – Wilson has had a long relationship with Mavis Pike, Pike's widowed mother. It is gossip in Walmington-on-Sea, as both arrived in Walmington from

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmix ...

around the same time, and there are other "coincidences" that show Wilson and Mrs Pike are more than just close friends, such as them unofficially living together. He admits that Pike originally called him Daddy, until told to call him Uncle (although the writers have confirmed that Wilson is Pike's biological father). In "

Menace from the Deep "Menace from the Deep" is the tenth episode of the third series of the British comedy series ''Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on Thursday 13 November 1969. Synopsis Marooned on the pier head, the platoon have no food or phone – th ...

" Jones brushes against Wilson while he is asleep, and he says without fully waking "Gently, Mavis". Although Wilson is shown to have a very flirtatious nature, and Mrs Pike has on occasion been seen out with other men (such as Warden Hodges, or the dashing American Army soldiers that arrived in Walmington-on-Sea), their relationship seems to be enduring, with both Wilson and Mrs Pike expressing sincere distress during the various times when they believe the other has left them for someone else. In " Getting the Bird" it is revealed that Wilson has an adult daughter from an early marriage whom he paid to attend a good school and who is serving during the war in the

Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the ...

. He admits to Fraser that he does not see his daughter as much as he would like, but it is clear that father and daughter love each other deeply. In " Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret" a misunderstanding leads to him nearly marrying Mrs Pike (indicating that he has divorced his previous wife) but he apparently calls it off at the last moment. There remain loose ends about Wilson's personal life, e.g. he may avoid marrying Mrs Pike because he does not want his previous marriage to become known, or he may never have been divorced from his wife, meaning a marriage to Mrs Pike would be

bigamous In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...

. In the post-war radio sequel '' It Sticks Out Half a Mile'', Wilson claims to be 54 years old, and born in 1894. The radio sequel also reveals that he did become the manager of Swallows bank at Walmington-on-Sea in 1947. It also reveals that Mrs Pike moved over to the same location when Wilson is transferred.

Personality

Wilson has a vague and dreamy personality and an aura of mystery. In appearance, he resembles Anthony Eden, and in the episode "

Ring Dem Bells "Ring Dem Bells" is the first episode of the eighth series of the British comedy series ''Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on 5 September 1975. Synopsis The platoon are going to be featured in a film to help the war effort, but are an ...

" loves to be told of his supposed resemblance to the actor

Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...

(and is mocked for doing so by Mainwaring in the episode " The Love of Three Oranges"). He is a kind man, who goes with the flow of life. Wilson's dream-like manner is often mimicked by the platoon, mostly Privates Walker and Fraser, but the men like him, and some admire him (including Jones, Godfrey, and most of all Private Pike). Rather than bark orders as a sergeant would be expected to do, he asks "Would you mind awfully falling in, please?" However, when pushed, a different Wilson emerges. In " High Finance", it is revealed that Warden Hodges has been forcing his attentions on Mrs Pike by blackmailing her with a rent increase; Wilson reacts by punching Hodges in the face, to the admiration of Mrs Pike and Frank. Wilson is the only member of the platoon to be physically violent, as in " Absent Friends" when Pike, Jones, Fraser, Walker and Mainwaring attempt to subdue three

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

members and are beaten, Wilson defeats them singlehanded with only bruised knuckles to show for it. In social settings, Wilson is effortlessly charming, often to the frustration of Mainwaring (who is the exact opposite of Wilson in these situations), especially as many of the people Mainwaring is hoping to impress are people Wilson already knows quite well. Wilson even manages to charm Mrs. Mainwaring (albeit over the telephone, as she is never seen on screen), telling her "we understand him, don't we" in reference to her husband. When it comes to women, Wilson is especially debonair, effortlessly flirting and attracting the attention of women, often to the exasperation of Mainwaring, who detests Wilson's flirtatious manner (such as when he is flirting with Mainwaring's nurse, some of the ladies signing up to join the Home Guard, or even the young woman serving drinks at a social event). In the episode " Man Hunt", Wilson asks an attractive young woman to let him come in and look at her

knickers Panties (in American English; also called pants, undies, or knickers in British English) are a form of women's underwear. Panties can be form-fitting or loose. Typical components include an elastic Waistline (clothing), waistband, a crotch pan ...

, when it is suspected they may have been made of material from a German pilot's parachute (as a result of one of Walker's many black market schemes); in response to this request, the young woman eagerly agrees and invites Wilson inside. This prompts Walker (who was forced to remain outside with Mainwaring after the young woman invited Wilson inside) to remark to Mainwaring about the "extraordinary influence" Wilson has over women. Wilson's charm is not limitless, however; in the episode " The Two and a Half Feathers", Wilson clashes several times with one of the serving ladies during lunch at the

British Restaurant British Restaurants were communal kitchens created in 1940 during the Second World War to help people who had been bombed out of their homes, had run out of ration coupons or otherwise needed help. In 1943, 2,160 British Restaurants served 600,0 ...

; the serving lady is clearly unimpressed with Wilson's upper-class manner of speech (calling it "lah-de-dah talk"), and even referring to Wilson as a "

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

lackey" when he leaves his dirty dishes behind for her to gather up.

Relationship with Mainwaring

Tension and comedy between Wilson and Mainwaring is heightened by their difference in social class: Wilson had an

upper middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...

childhood and a public school education, prompting resentment from the

lower middle class In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle ...

Mainwaring, who had to work his way up and views Wilson as having had it easy. Mainwaring frequently emphasises his superior rank at the bank and in the Home Guard to maintain his authority and superiority over Wilson. Wilson undermines his superior through casual charm and frequent concern at Mainwaring's plans, querying, "Do you really think that's wise, sir?" The contrasts are established in several ways: as a civilian, Mainwaring wears a

bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...

while Wilson wears a more fashionable

Anthony Eden hat An "Anthony Eden" hat, or simply an "Anthony Eden", was a type of headgear popularised in Britain in the mid-20th century by politician Anthony Eden, later 1st Earl of Avon (1897–1977). Eden, who was known for his sartorial elegance, favoure ...

. In "

The Honourable Man "The Honourable Man" is the fifth episode of the sixth series of the British comedy series ''Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on 28 November 1973. Synopsis When Wilson lets it be known that his family has 'moved up one place' and th ...

", Wilson became "

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Arthur Wilson" after an uncle who was a peer dies. Mainwaring tried to stay at the centre of attention; Wilson detested his new

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

and the unwelcome attention it brought him and refused to use his title, which only infuriated Mainwaring more, as he believed one should revel in titles of nobility rather than be ashamed of them. Conflict between the two reaches a head in " A. Wilson (Manager)?", in which Wilson is promoted as manager of another branch and also to second lieutenant in a neighbouring Home Guard Unit. Wilson finds out that he would have been promoted long ago if Mainwaring had not told his superiors that he was unsuitable for promotion. Mainwaring's resentment of Wilson's breeding is revealed. Wilson's new branch is bombed, so he has to return to Walmington.Webber, Perry, Croft, p.227 His sign, "A. WILSON, ''manager''", is among the debris. Mainwaring's first concern is to let Wilson know that GHQ is allowing him to keep his rank. Wilson is glad until Mainwaring throws him the sergeant's stripes. Wilson thinks Mainwaring a pompous fool; in "A. Wilson (Manager)?", Wilson reminds Mainwaring that when he first wore his captain's uniform, he saw him walking up and down the high street all afternoon trying to find someone to salute him, but he had to make do with a

sea scout Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

troop. However, they remain friends. In the episode "Room at the Bottom", Wilson was told that Mainwaring had not been commissioned a captain's position, and was gleeful when he was told thus Mainwaring would be demoted. Wilson provides a more realistic and down-to-earth appraisal of a situation than Mainwaring, who is blinded by pomposity and patriotism, as demonstrated in this exchange: :Mainwaring: They'll never get through the Maginot Line. :Wilson: Haven't you heard... They went around the side. :Mainwaring: That's a typical shabby Nazi trick! Mainwaring also routinely comments on Wilson's private life, specifically his relationship with Mrs Pike and her son (and their underling at the bank and fellow platoon member) Frank. Mainwaring often chastises Wilson to handle either Mrs Pike or Frank whenever they cause problems for him (usually revolving around Mrs. Pike's complaints to Mainwaring of how he treats her son, who she views as overly delicate). Wilson's response to this is usually a mix of nonchalance and exasperation, though in the episode "War Dance", he finally displays his irritation at Mainwaring's butting into his personal life; when Mainwaring refers to him as "

" due to his reluctance to act as a father figure to Pike, Wilson drops his normal air of deference to his boss and platoon leader, and angrily replies "My god, Mainwaring, you can hit pretty low when it suits you!" Despite their conflicts, however, Wilson and Mainwaring do share a respectful, if somewhat formal, sort of friendship. In the episode " Something Nasty in the Vault", Wilson and Mainwaring are trapped in the vault of their bank, desperately cradling an unexploded German bomb. During this time, they bond over their shared danger; at one point Mainwaring even scratches Wilson's nose for him when he develops a maddening itch. Likewise, in the episode "Keep Young and Beautiful", when presented with the possibility that some of the members of their platoon may be reassigned to the ARP due to their age, Wilson points out to Mainwaring that he has no wish to leave the platoon and is actually very proud of what the two of them have achieved. On several occasions, Mainwaring informs Wilson that he considers him not just his subordinate (at both the bank and the platoon), but also a friend. In the final episode, Wilson turns up at the wedding of Jones and Mrs Fox in a captain's uniform, having achieved the rank during the

. He is modest about it (in the first episode Wilson claims to have been a sergeant in the Royal Artillery serving at Mons, Passchendaele and Gallipoli) and Mainwaring is pleasantly surprised – although he insisted that "it doesn't change anything, you know."

Medals

Although Sergeant Wilson rarely wore his ribbons, he was awarded the usual trilogy of

campaign medals (commonly known as "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred"),The 1914–15 Star, the

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in si ...

and the Victory Medal, nicknamed

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred ''Pip, Squeak and Wilfred'' was a British strip cartoon published in the ''Daily Mirror'' from 1919 to 1956 (with a break c. 1940–1950), as well as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' in the early years. It was conceived by Bertram Lamb, who took the role ...

after a trio of cartoon characters of the period, that he had previously been awarded as a captain in the First World War.

Other portrayals

In the feature film ''

'' released in 2016, Wilson is played by

Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with '' The Illuminatus!'' in 1977. There he ...

. Wilson is played by

Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst (born 22 February 1957) is an English actor. Bathurst was born in The Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. In 1959 his family moved to Ballybrack, Dublin, Ireland and Bath ...

in a series of re-enactments of otherwise lost episodes of ''Dad's Army''.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Arthur Dad's Army characters Fictional military sergeants Fictional World War I veterans Fictional bankers Television characters introduced in 1968