Dad’s Army star Clive Dunn has died after a short illness

Published on 07/11/2012 18:05

DAD’S Army star Clive Dunn died aged 92 in Portugal yesterday after a short illness.

The actor, who played Corporal Jones in the hit sitcom, is believed to have been ill for a few weeks.

His agent Peter Charlesworth said the star will be “sorely missed”.

He said: “He will be a real loss to the acting profession.”

Dunn, who leaves his wife, children and grandchildren, was born in London into a showbusiness family and started out with a number of small film roles in the 1930s before the war intervened.

He served in Greece before being captured and spent four years as a prisoner of war.

After the war he resumed his career and in 1968 landed the role of Corporal Jones in the much-loved sitcom about life on the home front.

The character, a World War One veteran-turned butcher, was notorious for his often rambling recollections of his time in the army and his much-used catchphrase “Don’t panic”.

Dunn also had a number one hit in 1970 with Grandad and went on to play the title character in a children’s show of the same name.

Mr Charlesworth said: “He had been a star since the mid 1930’s.

“He was a young man playing old men even when he was young.”