| Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Dad's Army character | |
| First appearance | The Man and the Hour |
| Last appearance | Never Too Old |
| Portrayed by | John Le Mesurier |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Head Bank Clerk |
| Affiliated with | Home Guard |
Sergeant The Honourable Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank clerk portrayed by John Le Mesurier on the BBC television situation comedy Dad's Army. [1]
Wilson is carefree, cheerful and well-spoken, although more complex than he first seems. He has a mysterious aura, a vague and dreamy personality. In appearance, he resembles Anthony Eden. He is a kind man, who goes with the flow of life. He is chief cashier of Walmington-on-Sea bank, and captain of the cricket club.[2]
Captain Mainwaring, Wilson's senior in the Home Guard and in the bank, compared Wilson with Peter Pan, because he could never face responsibilities. These included Private Frank Pike, who worships his "Uncle Arthur" but may be Wilson's son — Wilson has a relationship with Mavis Pike, Frank's mother. It is gossip in Walmington-on-Sea, as both arrived in Walmington from Weston-super-Mare around the same time, and there are other "coincidences", that Wilson and Mrs Pike are more than "just close friends". It is assumed their affair began many years ago.[3] It is revealed in Getting the Bird that Wilson is married but that his wife left him. He has a daughter from his marriage.[4]
Wilson's dream-like state often leads to mimicry by the platoon, mostly Walker and Fraser, but he remains liked by those under him, and is admired by many (usually Jones, Godfrey, and most of all Pike). Rather than bark orders as a sergeant would be expected to do, he asks "would you mind awfully falling in please?"
Tension and comedy between Wilson and Mainwaring is heightened by their difference in social class: Wilson had an upper-middle class childhood and a public school education, prompting resentment from the lower-class Mainwaring who had to work his way up and views Wilson as having it easy.[5] Mainwaring frequently emphasises his superior rank in the bank and in the Home Guard to maintain his authority and superiority over Wilson. Wilson undermines his superior through casual charm and frequent concern at Mainwaring's plans, querying "Do you really think that's wise, sir?" The contrasts are established in several ways: as a civilian, Mainwaring wears a bowler hat while Wilson wears a more fashionable Anthony Eden hat. In The Honourable Man, Wilson became "The Honourable Arthur Wilson" after an uncle, a peer, died, making him a member of the aristocracy.[6] Mainwaring tried to stay centre of attention; Wilson detested his elevation in social rank and the pressures it forced on him, which only infuriated Mainwaring more, as he believed one should revel in titles of nobility rather than be ashamed of them.
Conflict between the two reached a head in A. Wilson (Manager)?, in which Wilson is promoted to be manager of another branch and also to Second Lieutenant in a neighbouring Home Guard Unit. Wilson finds that his promotion would have happened long ago but for Mainwaring's telling his superiors he wasn't up to it. Mainwaring's resentment of Wilson's breeding is revealed. Wilson's new branch is bombed, so he has to return to Walmington.[7] His sign "Arthur Wilson, Manager" is among the debris. Wilson's first concern is whether he can keep his rank (Second Lieutenant). "Of course", replies Mainwaring, and throws him the sergeant's stripes.
Wilson thinks Mainwaring a pompous fool,in which in one epsiode , Wilson reminded Mainwaring when he first wore his captain's uniform he saw him walking up and down the high street all afternoon trying to find someone to salute him but he had to make do with a sea scout troop. However they remain friends. Wilson provides a more realistic and down-to-earth appraisal of a situation than Mainwaring, who is blinded by pomposity and patriotism, as demonstrated in this exchange:
However, when pushed, a different Wilson emerges. In High Finance, it emerges during an enquiry that Warden Hodges has been forcing his attentions on Mrs Pike by blackmailing her with a rent increase; Wilson reacts by punching Hodges in the face, to the adoration of Mrs Pike and Frank. He is the only member of the platoon to be physically violent, as in Absent Friends when Pike, Jones, Fraiser, Walker and Mainwaring attempt to subdue three IRA members and are beaten off. Wilson defeats them singlehandedly with only bruised knuckles to show for it.[8]
In the final episode, Wilson turns up at the wedding of Jones and Mrs Fox in a captain's uniform, having achieved the rank of Captain during the First World War.[9] He was modest about it (in the first episode Wilson claims to have been a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery) and Mainwaring was pleasantly surprised — although he insisted that "it doesn't change anything, you know". (Ironically during the Second World War, John Le Mesurier who played Wilson had been a Captain[10]while Arthur Lowe who played Mainwaring had been a Sergeant Major.)
Although Sergeant Wilson rarely wore his medals, he had previously been awarded them as an officer in the First World War.
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