Bill Pertwee Biography

William Desmond Anthony "Bill" Pertwee, (21 July 1926 - 27 May 2013) was an English comedy actor best known for playing the part of antagonist ARP Warden Hodges in the popular sitcom Dad's Army.

Early and personal life

Pertwee was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. His mother was Brazilian and his English father, James Francis Carter Pertwee, travelled the country as a salesman until he became ill and died in 1938, when Bill Pertwee was 12. The family moved home many times during Pertwee's childhood and he lived in Hereford, Glasbury, Colnbrook, Newbury, Erith, Belvedere, Blackheath, Storrington, Westcliff-on-Sea, Wilmington and Worthing. His education was disrupted by the moves and he attended many schools including an independent convent school, a small independent school, followed by Frensham Heights School in Surrey, Dartford Technical College and Southend College.

Pertwee's brother James Raymond "Jiggy" Pertwee was an RAF Whitley Bomber pilot who was killed in a crash on a hillside close to a disused quarry above Bank Foot, Ingleby Greenhow, following a leaflet drop over Dortmund, Germany, in June 1941.

Bill Pertwee left school during the Second World War and worked for a company that made parts for Spitfire cannons. He was declared unfit for RAF service as he was on medication following a swimming accident, but was a member of the Air Training Corps (UK Air Cadets). He later worked as an accounts clerk at the Stock Exchange and as a salesman for the clothing retailer Burberry in London.

Pertwee had a son, Jonathan James Pertwee (born in 1966), who has been in various TV programmes. He was godfather to one of the sons of Dad's Army co-star Ian Lavender. Following the death of his wife, he lived in Topsham, Devon. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for his services to charity. He was vice-president of the "Railway Ramblers" and a member of the executive committee of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund ('The Royal Variety Charity').

He was a distant cousin of Michael Pertwee and Jon Pertwee, being the second cousin of their father, screenwriter and actor Roland Pertwee.

Entertainment career

Pertwee appeared in the radio comedy series Beyond Our Ken (1959"64) and Round the Horne (1965"67). He was also a warm-up act for many television shows.

His most prominent role was that of ARP Warden William Hodges in Dad's Army, which he played in both the original television series and the radio adaptations, as well as the radio sequel It Sticks Out Half a Mile, set after the war. Pertwee was president of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society and the author of the book Dad's Army " The Making of a Television Legend. In July 2008 he and other surviving members of the Dad's Army cast gathered together at the Imperial War Museum on the 40th anniversary of the show's first broadcast in 1968. He also made appearances on This Morning and BBC1's Jonathan Ross Salutes Dads Army at the time of the anniversary.

Pertwee appeared in two Carry On films " Carry On Loving (1970) and Carry On Girls (1973). His appearance in Carry On At Your Convenience (1971) was cut from the final film. Other film appearances include The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971).

On television Pertwee appeared in the final episode of It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1981) and an episode of Hi-de-Hi! (1986). He played PC Wilson in You Rang, M'Lord? (1988"93), another creation of Jimmy Perry and David Croft.

The subject of This Is Your Life in 1999, Pertwee was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Imperial War Museum.