Big Guns (Dad's Army)

Big Guns was the title of the second episode of the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army, originally broadcast on October 5, 1968.

The episode revolves around Captain Mainwaring's obsession with obtaining suitable weaponry for his Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon. Frustrated with the lack of effective equipment, he insists on acquiring a six-inch naval gun that has been removed from a coastal defense battery.

The central plot point involves Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson attempting to move the massive gun from its emplacement to the church hall, which they intend to use as their armory. They face considerable difficulty in transporting the gun, highlighting the absurdity and impracticality of their amateurish military efforts.

The episode features much of the show's trademark physical comedy and character-driven humor. It establishes the dynamic between the pompous and often inept Mainwaring and the more sensible and aristocratic Wilson. The other members of the platoon, including Corporal Jones, Private Pike, Private Frazer, and Private Godfrey, also contribute to the comedic chaos as they attempt to assist in the gun's relocation.

Ultimately, the "big guns" prove too cumbersome and impractical for the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard. The episode satirizes the enthusiastic but often misguided efforts of civilian defense forces during wartime, as well as the limitations of outdated military technology. The humor stems from the contrast between Mainwaring's grandiose ambitions and the platoon's manifest incompetence.