We are very sad to report that Clive Dunn, Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army has died at the aged of 92.

According to a BBC News report, Dunn died in Portugal, where he had lived for many years, on Tuesday 6th November following surgery.

Clive Dunn’s acting career stretched back to the 1930s, when he appeared with Will Hay. He played several parts in Hancock’s Half Hour but became a household name as the aged and doddery Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army, despite being only in his forties when the series began. He also scored a hit single with the song ‘Grandad’ and starred in a popular children’s TV series also called Grandad. It seems that he was born to play aged roles.

He was an active supporter of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society and appeared at numerous of their events.

An obituary can be found at the BBC website.

Thanks for the laughs Clive.

Walmington-on-Line is now on Facebook – you can find our page at facebook.com/WalmingtonOnLine. If you are a Facebook user and Dad’s Army fan then please head on over and ‘like’ or ‘share’ our page – not only will you get quick and easy updates on what is happening in Walmington, you’ll help other people to find us too.

Walmington-on-Line is not a commercial site and we’re not in the business of advertising but we thought you would want to know about this.  Amazon.co.uk is currently selling the Dad’s Army complete DVD collection for less than £22. This box-set contains every existing TV episode, including some of the rare specials; though it does not include the film, which was not made by the BBC.

At that price, with more than 80 episodes, you are getting each episode for 25p – that’s 5 shillings in the world of the Walmington-on-Sea shopkeepers and bank staff. So if your Dad’s Army collection is incomplete, don’t panic, get yourself across to Amazon.

We reported in September that the Ford van that appeared regularly as Corporal Jones’ troop transport in Dad’s Army is to be auctioned by its current owners, The Patrick Collection, in December. The iconic van is expected to sell for between £20,000 and £30,000 pounds.

Reported in the Norwich Evening News, the Thetford Dad’s Army Museum is trying to raise funds to buy the van to bring back to the town that has become the unofficial home of the show.

Museum manager Corinne Fulford is quoted as saying “we’ve got a proven track record of raising large amounts of money in a short amount of time but from September to December, even for us, it would be too much to ask. What we’re asking for is one, or more than one, generous benefactor to stand as good for the money so we can purchase it in December and then we’d fundraise to pay it back.”.

Dad’s Army fans have been lucky in recent years that the current owners have made the van available for events and exhibitons at locations such as the Thetford Museum and nearby Bressingham including many of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society’s events. If the new owner is the Thetford Museum it will ensure that Joney’s adapted 1935 Ford Box van will continue be seen by fans for years to come.

If you can help, then call Thetford Museum’s Corinne Fulford on 07802 701911, or email info@dadsarmythetford.org.uk.