ARP Warden William Hodges

Dad's Army character
name=ARP Warden William Hodges


affiliation=ARP Wardens
occupation=Greengrocer
start=The Man and the Hour
finish=Never Too Old
portrayer=Bill Pertwee

Chief ARP Warden William Hodges, nearly always referred to as "Hodges", is a fictional greengrocer and Chief Air Raid Warden portrayed by Bill Pertwee in the BBC television sitcom "Dad's Army".

Personality

Hodges is Captain Mainwaring's main rival in Walmington-on-Sea. A lowly greengrocer by trade, following the outbreak of war he has suddenly been given considerable power as chief air raid warden, signified by his white helmet, and this power has gone to his head. He can be just as pompous and officious as his chief rival, Mainwaring, but is by nature a more uncouth and coarse man, who delights in antagonizing the Home Guard platoon, in particular Mainwaring, whom he always calls "Napoleon". Mainwaring responds by often referring to him as a "tradesman". This rivalry increased after he was forced to share the church hall with Mainwaring after his headquarters was bombed.

In the episode, "A Brush with the Law", Hodges and one of his wardens believe they have caught Mainwaring with a light on in his office one night (a serious violation of the blackout regulations, and thus a criminal offence). Hodges greets the discovery with the joyful words "I've got him" repeated over and over again in a near hysterical manner, indicating the level of resentment he feels towards the bank manager. He and Captain Square, the greater of Mainwaring's enemies, proceed to see that the trial goes downhill from the start, Hodges telling Mainwaring he hopes "they give you a month". However, their attempts to have Mainwaring successfully prosecuted are thwarted at the last minute by the cunning Private Walker, who reminds Square of his own illegal activities involving black market whisky.

In "All is Safely Gathered In", Hodges temporary agrees a truce with Mainwaring after a near-death experience with a bomb. He orders his ARP wardens to help the Home Guard gather in the harvest. Hodges is suddenly desperate to have Mainwaring's favour, and continually insists what a 'good man' the Captain is, much to the amusement of the platoon. However after they both become drunk on potato wine, the old rivalry returns with Hodges branding Mainwaring "a drunken old snob", returning their relationship to its usual state.

Hodges views the Home Guard as ineffective old men, and thus often tries to take charge of important situations under the justification that it is an 'ARP matter' - however, as he also displays something of a cowardly streak, should the matter prove in anyway dangerous or threatening to his life and limb, he is often quick to transfer command back to Mainwaring and preferably withdraw to a safer point. In many episodes, Hodges, and his co-conspirator, the Verger, were involved in trying to sabotage the platoon's efforts, usually at the command of Captain Square. These include "Menace from the Deep", "We Know Our Onions", "Don't Forget the Diver", "Battle of the Giants" and "Gorilla Warfare". His feelings towards both Mainwaring and his wartime responsibilities were summed up in the episode "Time on my Hands":

:"I hope you stay up there to let me enjoy this war in peace. Because I do enjoy this war. I've never enjoyed anything as much in all my life... And you! You always spoil it." - Hodges (shouting to Mainwaring, who is stuck up the town hall clock tower).

Hodges is also greatly disliked by the rest of the platoon, who usually whistle the theme to "Laurel and Hardy" whenever he appears. A number of them have a personal reason for their contempt. Wilson, for example, dislikes Hodges because of his advances on Mrs Pike (this actually led to Wilson punching Hodges in the face in "High Finance)", and Godfrey because of his attitude towards the elderly. In "Time On My Hands", after Hodges tells Mr Blewitt to shut up, the usually calm Godfrey tells Hodges that he is a "rude, common and nasty fellow". Even Walker, who is seen doing business with Hodges at several points in the series, threatens to give Hodges "a bunch of fives up the Hooter" in "Uninvited Guests" after one insult too many by the Warden towards the platoon.

In several episodes, Hodges refers to having "funny turns", which hints that his mental facilities are somewhat less than perfectly balanced. However, there are times when he is shown to possess hidden talents, for example being a fine cricketer (The Test and Menace from the Deep), or speaking fluent German (Come in, your time is up).

External links

* [http://www.dadsarmy.tv Dad's Army online tribute]
* [http://www.dadsarmy.co.uk Dad's Army Appreciation Society]