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The Real Dad's Army
The Real 'Dad's Army' Colonel Rodney Foster, who retired to Hythe in the south of England after a military career in British India, joined the Home Guard in 1940 and kept a diary every day - a highly illegal act at the time - and in it meticulously chronicled his service in the real "Dad's Army". Full description
362 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 24, 2012
One of many remarkable facets of these diaries is how like, and yet how unlike, the television sitcom was to reality. The diarist, a retired Indian army officer living in the heart of Hell Fire Corner throughout the second World War, was an early member of the Home Guard in Kent. He did not suffer fools and encountered a number. Eventually, exasperated, he resigned and became a driver in the Volunteer Car Pool.
Colonel Foster is an exemplary diarist. His entires are brief, lucid and to the point; they have room for the wider view of the war as it unfolded but also for the trivia of everyday life. A picture emerges of daily exposure to danger, the stress of regular air raid warnings, the bombs and explosions, the death of acquaintances; but also of domestic life when the housemaid is suspected of being a spy, when the writer stands next to a rear-admiral in a half-hour queue to buy fish, when a journey can only be completed by borrowing a gallon of petrol, while on another drive to an emergency hospital, "I did the 28 miles in 1¼ hours."
Unwittingly, perhaps, the Colonel provides a telling self-portrait. Clearly he was a man of principle, devoted to his wife and daughter, a willing helper of deserving causes, a prickly team member, and a prejudiced patriot - among those who come in for recurrent criticism are Winston Churchill and most of his cabinet, Field Marshall Montgomery, General Eisenhower and most Americans. British servicemen who consistently damage his fence are not excused.
We can only be grateful that these diaries, having disappeared after the author's death, resurfaced in a car boot sale. Anyone wishing to understand what life was like for civilians in the front line will find a clear and accurate account. I should add that much of it made difficult reading for one who was born in Folkestone, experienced some of the later months but mostly escaped as an evacuee in Wales. So I was not there when my school premises were damaged. Unfortunately, as a photograph of wrecked houses on page 113 shows, my parents stayed on and paid with their lives.
Colonel Foster is an exemplary diarist. His entires are brief, lucid and to the point; they have room for the wider view of the war as it unfolded but also for the trivia of everyday life. A picture emerges of daily exposure to danger, the stress of regular air raid warnings, the bombs and explosions, the death of acquaintances; but also of domestic life when the housemaid is suspected of being a spy, when the writer stands next to a rear-admiral in a half-hour queue to buy fish, when a journey can only be completed by borrowing a gallon of petrol, while on another drive to an emergency hospital, "I did the 28 miles in 1¼ hours."
Unwittingly, perhaps, the Colonel provides a telling self-portrait. Clearly he was a man of principle, devoted to his wife and daughter, a willing helper of deserving causes, a prickly team member, and a prejudiced patriot - among those who come in for recurrent criticism are Winston Churchill and most of his cabinet, Field Marshall Montgomery, General Eisenhower and most Americans. British servicemen who consistently damage his fence are not excused.
We can only be grateful that these diaries, having disappeared after the author's death, resurfaced in a car boot sale. Anyone wishing to understand what life was like for civilians in the front line will find a clear and accurate account. I should add that much of it made difficult reading for one who was born in Folkestone, experienced some of the later months but mostly escaped as an evacuee in Wales. So I was not there when my school premises were damaged. Unfortunately, as a photograph of wrecked houses on page 113 shows, my parents stayed on and paid with their lives.
February 15, 2025
Had Colonel Rodney Foster been alive to see the premiere of the sitcom Dad’s Army, created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft in 1968, he might have felt compelled to publish his own account, titled The Real Dad’s Army.
This work encompasses personal diaries from World War II, which chronicle his experiences with the Home Guard in southeast England and later with the Air Raid Precautions (ARP). Unfortunately, the diarist, who meticulously recorded much of his military journey, passed away in 1962, resulting in his writings remaining unpublished until 2012. This delay followed the death of Rodney’s daughter, Daphne in 2000 and the subsequent transfer of his writings through various hands before becoming curated by historian Shaun Sewell. The fact that Colonel Foster's narrative was composed without any foresight into the fictional escapades of Captain Mainwaring and the Walmington-on-Sea platoon, and vice versa, underscores the remarkable accuracy of the television series.
Nevertheless, this book does not shy away from portraying the more sombre realities of warfare on the home front. Edited by Ronnie Scott, who provides historical wartime annotations for context, The Real Dad’s Army chronicles six years of World War II, spanning from September 1, 1939, to September 29, 1945.
Colonel Foster’s diary entries capture the evacuation of Hythe and his ongoing work with the RSPCA, as well as his enlistment in the Local Defence Volunteers (later known as the Home Guard).
All this taking place as various regiments of the regular army frequently came and went from evacuated residences nearby, often causing damage to Colonel Foster’s property and pilfering items from his orchard. The author also encounters disagreements with fellow Home Guard members, displaying a lack of patience for incompetence, yet his compassionate nature is evident throughout his writings.
There are also meticulous recordings of the aerial battles between British air pilots and the Luftwaffe occurring above his home and the Kent coastline, alongside the numerous military explosions from land, sea and air that regularly shook the foundations of his house.
His writings also contain candid critiques of the government, particularly Churchill’s wartime strategies and the indiscriminate bombing of civilians. At one juncture, it becomes apparent that Colonel Foster, a former soldier in the Indian army, experiences significant despondency due to the war, a sentiment reflected in both his written words and the silences within his accounts. His situation and writing improve somewhat when he resigns from the Home Guard in 1943, subsequently joining the ARP and becoming an honorary member of the WRVS car-pool.
The Real Dad’s Army presents charming character sketches of the individuals Rodney encounters throughout the six years, alongside insights into his domestic life with his wife Phyllis and their daughter Daphne, who leads the local girl guides.
While the book introduction draws parallels between Rodney and Dad's Army's fictional Captain Mainwaring, I found the similarities to be minimal, although both are primarily characterised by a shared resilient spirit to keep calm and carry on. In fact, Rodney’s own platoon appears to be less organised and conventional than Captain Mainwaring’s, often lacking full participation and achieving little in terms of guard duty and shooting practice. Nevertheless, I appreciate Rodney’s delightful illustrations, which enhance the book and infuse his writing with considerable personality.
Although the narrative of The Real Dad’s Army can be quite serious and occasionally monotonous, it remains clear and direct, and the dedication of the author renders this book a valuable read.
This work encompasses personal diaries from World War II, which chronicle his experiences with the Home Guard in southeast England and later with the Air Raid Precautions (ARP). Unfortunately, the diarist, who meticulously recorded much of his military journey, passed away in 1962, resulting in his writings remaining unpublished until 2012. This delay followed the death of Rodney’s daughter, Daphne in 2000 and the subsequent transfer of his writings through various hands before becoming curated by historian Shaun Sewell. The fact that Colonel Foster's narrative was composed without any foresight into the fictional escapades of Captain Mainwaring and the Walmington-on-Sea platoon, and vice versa, underscores the remarkable accuracy of the television series.
Nevertheless, this book does not shy away from portraying the more sombre realities of warfare on the home front. Edited by Ronnie Scott, who provides historical wartime annotations for context, The Real Dad’s Army chronicles six years of World War II, spanning from September 1, 1939, to September 29, 1945.
Colonel Foster’s diary entries capture the evacuation of Hythe and his ongoing work with the RSPCA, as well as his enlistment in the Local Defence Volunteers (later known as the Home Guard).
All this taking place as various regiments of the regular army frequently came and went from evacuated residences nearby, often causing damage to Colonel Foster’s property and pilfering items from his orchard. The author also encounters disagreements with fellow Home Guard members, displaying a lack of patience for incompetence, yet his compassionate nature is evident throughout his writings.
There are also meticulous recordings of the aerial battles between British air pilots and the Luftwaffe occurring above his home and the Kent coastline, alongside the numerous military explosions from land, sea and air that regularly shook the foundations of his house.
His writings also contain candid critiques of the government, particularly Churchill’s wartime strategies and the indiscriminate bombing of civilians. At one juncture, it becomes apparent that Colonel Foster, a former soldier in the Indian army, experiences significant despondency due to the war, a sentiment reflected in both his written words and the silences within his accounts. His situation and writing improve somewhat when he resigns from the Home Guard in 1943, subsequently joining the ARP and becoming an honorary member of the WRVS car-pool.
The Real Dad’s Army presents charming character sketches of the individuals Rodney encounters throughout the six years, alongside insights into his domestic life with his wife Phyllis and their daughter Daphne, who leads the local girl guides.
While the book introduction draws parallels between Rodney and Dad's Army's fictional Captain Mainwaring, I found the similarities to be minimal, although both are primarily characterised by a shared resilient spirit to keep calm and carry on. In fact, Rodney’s own platoon appears to be less organised and conventional than Captain Mainwaring’s, often lacking full participation and achieving little in terms of guard duty and shooting practice. Nevertheless, I appreciate Rodney’s delightful illustrations, which enhance the book and infuse his writing with considerable personality.
Although the narrative of The Real Dad’s Army can be quite serious and occasionally monotonous, it remains clear and direct, and the dedication of the author renders this book a valuable read.
April 25, 2019
This is a very matter-of-fact telling of World War 2 from Colonel Rodney Foster. The diary entries are mainly quick updates jotted down and do not explore how the writer feels. Great for those who want an insights on what life during WWII was like but I would have enjoyed a more in-depth telling of the events.
November 7, 2025
This is the wartime diary of the man that lived in my friend's house in North Road in Hythe in those times.
It's interesting to read now. I was under the impression that keeping a diary was illegal in case vital information should fall into the hands of the enemy.....
It's interesting to read now. I was under the impression that keeping a diary was illegal in case vital information should fall into the hands of the enemy.....
November 1, 2015
The diaries are very real & it's interesting to see what details of life were important enough to be recorded, and which weren't - "I timed my standing in the fish queue: it was exactly half an hour" or " "Went up and saw Mother. she recognised me at once. Afternoon, took the dogs out" and "I was issued three macintoshes, four blankets, ammunition and field dressings today"
There are many similarities between the fictional Captain Mainwaring & the real life Rodney Foster - both are too old to be conscripted but young enough to want to do their part; both have a certain "standing" in life & friends in influential places (Rodney manages to get petrol throughout the war & not only has a nice house in Hythe but manages to rent a cottage/farm a few miles away where he retreats at night to be away from the bombs
Humorous in parts, and undoubtedly a great piece of history, but unfortunately hard to read in this format. I would like to see elements of this incorporated into film or tv
There are many similarities between the fictional Captain Mainwaring & the real life Rodney Foster - both are too old to be conscripted but young enough to want to do their part; both have a certain "standing" in life & friends in influential places (Rodney manages to get petrol throughout the war & not only has a nice house in Hythe but manages to rent a cottage/farm a few miles away where he retreats at night to be away from the bombs
Humorous in parts, and undoubtedly a great piece of history, but unfortunately hard to read in this format. I would like to see elements of this incorporated into film or tv
June 18, 2012
I really looked forward to reading this book - but was left dreadfully disappointed.
These diaries by Colonel Rodney Foster were kept for the duration of the Second World War. They saw the light of day a few years ago via a car boot and eBay sale or two. They are fastidious in their detail - but tell us little, if anything, of the effect that these factual details had on the auther; "Another flying bomb landed on our town, destroying two houses and killing three people". And..... what? Were you terrified, were you worried, or did you just take it all in your stride Colonel Foster?
One expected so much more - but ultimately, there was no great insight into one of the world's most terrible conflicts from these tomes. Dreadfully disappointing.
These diaries by Colonel Rodney Foster were kept for the duration of the Second World War. They saw the light of day a few years ago via a car boot and eBay sale or two. They are fastidious in their detail - but tell us little, if anything, of the effect that these factual details had on the auther; "Another flying bomb landed on our town, destroying two houses and killing three people". And..... what? Were you terrified, were you worried, or did you just take it all in your stride Colonel Foster?
One expected so much more - but ultimately, there was no great insight into one of the world's most terrible conflicts from these tomes. Dreadfully disappointing.
July 18, 2012
An interesting chronicle of the Second World War from the home front. An excellent counterpoint to the usual battlefield memoir, giving an insight to the trials and tribulations of those left at home.
February 9, 2013
Interesting accounts of the Home Guard during WW11 but not a book that holds the readers attention. Written by a diarist in a rather perfunctory way and therefore suffers from a lack of descriptive passages.
August 23, 2013
Interesting for research purposes but not much else.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews