Cap Mainwaring

Mainwaring has no combat experience, which causes tension with the other members of the Home Guard, particularly Wilson, who was a captain in the Royal Artillery (Mons, Gallipoli, and Passchendaele) during the First World War. Mainwaring did, however, serve in the Army of Occupation in France, "during the whole of 1919 – somebody had to clear up the mess."[5] He volunteered to enlist in 1914 but was rejected with poor eyesight (during the Second World War, John Le Mesurier, who played Wilson, had been a captain while Arthur Lowe was a Sergeant Major. Lowe tried to enlist in the Merchant Navy prior to the Second World War but was also rejected with poor eyesight). Despite his shortcomings as a leader, Mainwaring considers himself an excellent military tactician. His height and background are frequently mocked as indicating a Napoleon Complex and his nemesis, ARP Warden Hodges, often refers to him as "Napoleon". In one episode, "A Soldier's Farewell", Mainwaring dreams he is Napoleon Bonaparte and is thwarted at the Battle of Waterloo by a Duke of Wellington resembling Wilson.[6] His pomposity and conviction of his prowess mean that Mainwaring yearns to be in control of any situation and he behaves in an arrogant manner; for instance in the first episode he organised the Home Guard unit and appointed himself commanding officer despite his lack of experience and qualifications (and had to wait until the episode "Room at the Bottom" before he received his commission).