Captain George Mainwaring

Captain George Mainwaring is one of the central characters of the BBC comedy series Dad's Army. In the show, he is the manager of Swallows Bank in Walmington-on-Sea, as well as the self-appointed captain of the Home Guard platoon.
In the original series and 1971 film, he was played by the late Arthur Lowe. In the 2016 film, he is played by Toby Jones, who also voiced Dobby in the Harry Potter franchise. In the 2019 remake of three missing episodes, he is played by Kevin McNally.
==Biography==
George Mainwaring was born in 1885, the son of alcoholic draper Edmund Mainwaring, and the brother of profligate alcoholic travelling novelty toy salesman Barry Mainwaring. He achieved a scholarship to the local grammar school, where he was educated. His background and early hard knocks laid the foundations for the man that he would become: snobbish and pompous.
Sometime after graduating from school, George began his career at the bank, eventually rising to manager before the outbreak of the Second World War. He considers himself to be middle class, and aims to put as much distance between his present self and his working class past as possible, as well as looking at those he deems his inferiors. When asked about his family, he claims that his father was a master tailor, and never mentions his brother at all.
George is married to Elizabeth, the daughter of a bishop. Their honeymoon was in Scotland, where, according to George, his highlight was learning to play the bagpipes, a skill which served him well in the episode "If the Cap Fits...", after the platoon is invited to dinner with a Scottish general, and the haggis is accompanied with a piper.
===World War One===
As stated in Dad's Army, Mainwaring was commissioned as an officer in the British Army towards the end of the First World War, rising to the rank of captain. However, he actually served no useful purpose, and was never actually deployed to the trenches of Europe. He says that his deployment during wartime was to "somewhere in the Orkneys", and was deployed to France in 1919, the year after the War ended. He argues that "somebody had to clear up the mess".
As a result of his postings, Mainwaring has no medals of any kind, which causes him shame in the Christmas episode "Battle of the Giants!", in which all Home Guard members are ordered to parade with medals.
===World War Two===
At the outbreak of World War Two (as depicted in the pilot episode "The Man and the Hour"), Mainwaring hears that Walmington-on-Sea has no Home Guard unit. He applies to form a unit in 1940, and receives approval, asking for all volunteers to be rounded up and brought to the church hall, among them Thomas Bracewell, Charles Godfrey, Joe Walker, James Frazer, Jack Jones and his own bank clerks, Frank Pike and Arthur Wilson. He announces the foundation of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon, having appointed himself as its captain. After the men sign their names, Mainwaring appoints Wilson to be his Platoon Sergeant and second-in-command, and appoints Jones to the rank of Lance Corporal, his third-in-command and commander of First Section (which consists of the central characters besides Mainwaring and Wilson, occasionally augmented with extras).
As a military officer, Mainwaring gives the impression that he is far from the best, often getting confused with military time, and creating hair-brained plans. However, he trains his men to be some sort of fighting unit.
==Personality==
George Mainwaring is very pompous, arrogant and snobbish. He is also ashamed of his working-class past, his alcoholic father and brother, thinking of himself as middle-class. This can often lead to conflict with characters who are genuinely middle- or upper-class, such as Wilson, or Mainwaring's rival, Captain Square, commander of Eastgate Home Guard, magistrate and British Army colonel.
However, for all his faults, he is loyal, kind-hearted and patriotic to a fault, often putting the interests of Britain above his own. He also cares about the welfare of his men, as much as he tries not to show it.
==Quotes==
The following is a list of recurring quotes attributed to Captain Mainwaring, outside of his de facto catchphrase, "You stupid boy!", which is included at the top of this page. This list is not exhaustive.
==Trivia==
*When the Second World War began, Arthur Lowe, the original Captain Mainwaring actor, tried to enlist in the Merchant Navy and avoid combat duties, but did not join due to his poor eyesight. He enlisted in the British Army, eventually rising to the rank of Sergeant Major.
**Ironically, John le Mesurier, who played Sergeant Wilson, served in the British Army as a commissioned officer, holding the rank of captain.
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Comedy Heroes
Category:Military
Category:Spouses
Category:Siblings
Category:Patriots
Category:Officials
Category:Leaders
Category:Male
Category:Categories Needed
Category:Arrogant
Category:Loyal