I know that the Home Guard unit in England during WW2, was set up for men to be part of an inland military squad that consisted of men that were either too old or too unfit to fight in the war oversea's.
Now its obvious that all of the men barr Walker and Pike were too old, but what were the reasons that Pike and Walker were part of it for?. Pike looked as if he was in his 20's, and Walker in his 30's.
Pike at the time of the first series was 17 years old and was too young to be in the regular army and so would be in the home guard until he was called up (mirroring what actually happened in real life to Jimmy Perry), however when Pike was finally called up it was found that his blood type was so rare that he was excluded from military service.
Walker on the other hand, had an alleged Corned Beef allergy, he was conscripted, only to be discharged when it was found that corned beef fritters were the only rations left for the soldiers to eat. (the plot of one of the missing episodes "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker") although this was probably just a dodge by Walker to avoid service.
hummmm yeah i did remember walker saying he was allergic to corn beef and also something about sending essential supplies?
shareI think you are referring to the episode "the showing up of lance corporal jones" :-)
shareI never believed for one minute Walker was unfit for service, corned beef allergy or not, he will have engineered it so he didn't get called up and he would have been to influence people in power to see he doesn't get called up, without Walker no one would get there off the back of the lorry goods
shareAs mentioned, Pike was too young for military service but was able to serve in the Home Guard which also took boys aged 15-18 I believe. (Remember at this time the school leaving age was 14 so you were considered 'grown up' at the age of 14 or so).
It does seem odd that Walker dodged the call-up but then volunteered for the Home Guard (which was optional). Was this ever explained?
Walker saw himself as a businessman first - albeit a dodgy one - and probably saw the home guard as a good place to network for contacts and sales. Even Mainwaring would buy the odd bottle of bootleg booze and they would have wives who needed food and various luxuries.
shareI think Walker was a patriot and wanted to do his bit, but was a businessman first and foremost. He could have just avoided conscription and stayed out of the Home Guard, too, but he chose to join and was an active participant.
Here's to the health of Cardinal Puff.
I concluded Walker dodged being drafted someway or other. The show came out in '68 and had this been an American program, there would have been a definite anti-war theme, whether an English program had this issue at the time in the 60s or not, I don't know, but in america, we of course had MASH.
I know Greer Garson had to all but denounce Mrs. Miniver in the 60s, which I think is a shame.
Pike I just always took it couldnt serve as he was such a wuss. Or that something about his mother kept him out, tho I don't think the UK worried about things like that as the US did.
There is an episode where Pike is called up, at the last minute it is discovered that his blood type is so rare that they decide not to take him.
Let Zygons Be Zygons.
Maybe dodgy Walker thought it better to be in uniform in some capacity, so as to ward off any unwelcome attention that his civilian status might cause?
shareWalker was called up.but discharged as allergic to.corned beef.
share