The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones

"The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones"
Dad's Army episode
Jones' van made its first appearance in this episode
Episode no.	Series Three Episode 013
Directed by	David Croft
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Produced by	David Croft
Original air date	Thursday 11/9/69 7.30pm (recorded Sunday 25/5/69)
Running time	30 minutes
Episode chronology

The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones is the first episode of the third series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Thursday 11 September 1969.

Synopsis

Lance Corporal Jones allows the platoon to use his butcher's van as an armoured car and Mainwaring meets the new Chief ARP Warden, William Hodges the greengrocer.

Plot

Following a lecture on the gases the enemy will use, Captain Mainwaring reads a communiqué sent by GHQ, which says that there isn't enough communication between the ARP and the Home Guard, so the new Chief Warden is coming to discuss co-operation. Mainwaring is disgusted to learn from Wilson that the new Chief Warden is that 'common fellow' Mr Hodges. Mainwaring believes that Hodges' occupation (a greengrocer) doesn't entitle him to be Chief Warden. Wilson agrees by saying that he has dirty finger nails. When Hodges arrives, he and Mainwaring have a brief argument about who should get the church hall every Wednesday evening.

Some time afterwards, Walker talks to Jones about his delivery van. He reckons that he should lend it to Mainwaring as platoon transport. Jones is suspicious, so Walker admits that it will help his black market activities, but offers Jones petrol coupons in return. Jones reluctantly agrees.

The next day, Mainwaring congratulates Jones and Walker on their efforts with the van. Jones tells Mainwaring that it not only serves as a troop carrier and armoured car, but it also serves as an ambulance. Wilson demonstrates with some of the platoon to Mainwaring, their new embarking and disembarking strategy, which interrupts Hodges' ARP lecture. He demands to know the reason why, and is intrigued to learn that the van doubles up as an ambulance. He asks the men to come down to Saturday's air raid practice and act as stretcher-bearers for the ambulance. Mainwaring concludes the lecture by telling Jones and Walker that the van is being converted to gas.

Jones and Walker reluctantly travel to the church hall with a giant gas-bag on the roof. Jones' bayonet accidentally punctures the gas supply pipe and Jones and Walker succumb to the gas. When they recover, they learn that the gas bag is nearly empty. They reach the church hall to find it empty except for Frazer, who tells them that everyone's already at the practice. Frazer decides to use the Vicar's gas fire to refill the gas bag. The Vicar interrupts, but Frazer passes it off as filling the Vicar's gas fire.

The trio arrive at the practice, and they prepare to load an old man onto the back of the van, but Jones has left the keys at his shop. They attempt to put the old man through the window of the van, while Jones 'borrows' an irate man's bike to fetch the keys. When he returns, they prepare to load the old man into the van, but it drives off before they can fully load him on. After two unsuccessful attempts, the old man gets up off the stretcher, declaring "I'll walk to the flippin' hospital!"

Cast

Notes

1. The character of the "angry man" was the first television appearance of Sir Nigel Hawthorne.
2. This episode was the first to feature Reverend Timothy Farthing in person
3. The old man on the stretcher is Mr Blewitt, as established in later episodes in a semi-regular role
4. ARP Warden Hodges wants the church hall every Wednesday evening in this episode.
5. This is the first episode to feature Hodges as Chief ARP Warden.
6. This is the first episode to feature Jones allowing the platoon to use his van.

Radio episode

References

• Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army. Orion. ISBN 0-7528-4637-X. 

External links

• "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" at BBC Programmes
• "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" at TV.com