Publishing annuals based on a current television series was common in the 1970s. World Distributors published six Dad's Army annuals between 1973 and 1978. Aimed mainly at children, they included short stories (some loosely based on TV episodes but most written for each annual), games, puzzles and historical information about World War II and the Home Guard. Photographs in the 1973 Annual were mainly from the film, with photographs in other issues taken from the TV series.
Dad's Army Annual 1973, ISBN978-0-7235-0142-8. Text stories: Which Way To Walmington?, Parachute Invasion, The Anti-Jerry Device, Souped-up Tactics!, The Platoon on Manoeuvres, False Alarm!, The New Recruits Cartoon strip stories: Guerilla Warfare, Invasion
Dad's Army Annual 1974, ISBN7-235-02099-7. Text stories: Horror for Hodges, The Regimental Mascot, Mum's Army, The Official Inspection, Sealed Instructions, A Ghoul on the Loose, Dad's Army Joins the Navy Cartoon strip stories: Jones Saves the Day, The Great Defenders
Dad's Army Annual 1975, ISBN978-0-7235-0233-3. Text stories: Operation Evacuees, Down on the Farm, The Riding Lesson, Midnight Marauders, Take Shelter, The Social Evening, Ready Steady Blow!, The Captain's Lucky Day Cartoon strip stories: Sausage and Bash, Enemy Invasion
Dad's Army Annual 1976, ISBN978-0-7235-0319-4. Text stories: Yo Ho Hodges, The Usurper, Tomorrow's Heroes, Ladies First!, Roll 'Em!, The Captain Plays Cards Cartoon strip stories: Fishy Business, The Documents
Dad's Army Annual 1977, ISBN978-0-7235-0350-7. Text stories: Gorilla Warfare, Night Manoevres, Tank Tactics, A Case Of Mistaken Identity, A Star Is Born, The Captains Clanger Cartoon strip stories: Raising a Stink, The Magnificent Eleven
Dad's Army Annual 1978, ISBN7-235-04380-6. Text stories: Fire! Fire!, Once a Soldier Always a Soldier, On Course With the Captain, Friends or Foes?, Operation Evacuees! Cartoon strip stories: Getting to Betsy, The Hero
Fiction
Dad's Army Sketches by Nico Broekhuis. City Stone Publishing, 2023. ISBN978-1-9153-9917-5. A book of sketches of the main characters from episodes of Dad’s Army.
Dad's Army by John Burke, Hodder, 1971. ISBN0-340-15027-0. A novelisation of the film.
Dad's Army Cartoon Book, Piccolo, 1973. ISBN0-330-23759-4. This contains six comic stories written by R.A.G Clarke and drawn by Bill Titcombe (in black and white): Operation Spycatcher, Dad's Army Goes to Sea, Operation Blunderbuss, Dad's Army in the Red, Operation Spit-and-Polish, Sure-fire Mainwaring!. 96 pages. Price 20p.
Dad's Army - The Defence of a Front Line English Village by Paul Abelman, BBC Books, 1989. ISBN0-563-20850-3. A retelling of some events in the TV series, based on Captain Mainwaring's diary and "edited by Arthur Wilson M.A."
Dad's Army Song Book, Wise Publications, 1995. ISBN0-7119-5141-1. Music and lyrics of Who do you think you're kidding Mr. Hitler? and other wartime songs.
The Dad's Army Handbook by Tony Pritchard and Paul Carpenter, Dad's Army Appreciation Society, 1998. The first attempt at a comprehensive Dad's Army reference book.
In addition to books, memorabilia and merchandise were manufactured throughout the run and continued many years after.
At least 10 jigsaw puzzles with pictures from the TV series.
A set of 25 cigarette cards featuring scenes from the film was released in 1971.
Two board games, one as a promotion by Ovaltine in 1971 and another in 1974.
A Pan/Piccolo book of their adventures in comic form with storylines by R.A.G. Clarke and pictures by Bill Titcombe. It was released in 1973 and cost 20p in the UK. It contained six stories.
Models of Jones’ and Hodges’ vans, a Walmington-on-Sea taxi, and a Walmington newspaper van were part of a Radio Times promotion.
The Imar Models series of 1:32 scale World War II figurines includes a "Home Guard Captain" which, although not advertised as such, bears a striking resemblance to Captain Mainwaring.
Foundry Models released a series of Home Guard figurines as part of the "England Invaded!" series. Although not directly advertised as such, the figurines were clearly based on characters from the series. Available were different models depicting members of the platoon (Mainwaring, Wilson, Pike, Frazer, Jones and Godfrey) in various poses, along with a “civilian” collection featuring figurines based on Hodges, the Vicar, Verger and Mrs Pike.[1]
Warlord games has released a box of 18 Dad's Army figurines in army and civilian clothes.
A large collection of Dad's Army memorabilia can be seen in the Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk, close to where most of Dad's Army was filmed.
The Dad's Army Museum in Thetford, the Norfolk town where the TV series was filmed, is dedicated entirely to Dad's Army. The town has established a tourist attraction The Dad's Army Trail, which guides fans of the show through Thetford to all the major filming locations and places of significance.
"The Man and the Hour" is the first ever episode of the British comedy sitcom Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 31 July 1968 and was later adapted for radio. It was also the first ever black and white episode. The first ever episode marked the first regular appearances of Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender and James Beck.
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 played by Kevin McNally. Mainwaring is the bank manager and Home Guard platoon commander, in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea during the Second World War.
Sergeant Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank chief clerk, first portrayed by John Le Mesurier in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army.
Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member, first portrayed by Arnold Ridley in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. and in the 1971 Dad's Army film. He is retired and was previously a tailor for the Civil Service Stores or the Army & Navy Stores. Godfrey was a conscientious objector during the First World War, yet he did work as a stretcher bearer with the Royal Army Medical Corps and earned a Military Medal for taking the wounded off the battle field at the Battle of the Somme. This has earned him great respect among the platoon members and resulted in him being appointed as the First Aid supervisor. Ridley himself fought at the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.
"Battle of the Giants!" is the first special Christmas episode of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Monday 27 December 1971.
"Big Guns" is the seventh episode of the third series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Thursday 23 October 1969.
"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.
"Man Hunt" is the twelfth episode of the third series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Thursday 27 November 1969.
"The Big Parade" is the first episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Friday 25 September 1970.
"Don't Forget the Diver" is the second episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 2 October 1970.
"Put That Light Out!" is the seventh episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Friday 6 November 1970.
"The Two and a Half Feathers" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Friday 13 November 1970.
"A Soldier's Farewell" is the third episode of the fifth series of the British television sitcom Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 20 October 1972.
"Uninvited Guests" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series of the British comedy TV series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Friday, 11 December 1970.
"Getting the Bird" is the fourth episode of the fifth series of the British television situation comedy Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 27 October 1972.
Dad's Army is a 1971 British war comedy film and the first film adaptation of the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. Directed by Norman Cohen, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series. The film tells the story of the Home Guard platoon's formation and their subsequent endeavours at a training exercise. The film version of the television series comprises the following cast members: Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender and James Beck.
"The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones" is the fifth episode of the fifth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 3 November 1972.
"Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel" is the twelfth episode of the fifth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on 22 December 1972.
"Wake up Walmington" is the first episode of the ninth and final series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on 2 October 1977.
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 for nine series and 80 episodes in total; a feature film released in 1971, a stage show and a radio version based on the television scripts were also produced. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still shown internationally.
Episodes in italics are missing † Episode has been reconstructed for release using animation. ‡ Episode has been recreated with new cast for transmission
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