Actors from the smash hit play, which is being staged at the Key Theatre, were inspected by former Peterborough Home Guard members yesterday to help support the poppy appeal

And keeping in character, the cast of soldiers, including former EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham, were described by the onlookers as "a sorry lot".

The veterans in attendance had most in common with young Corporal Pike in the play as they were only youngsters when they signed up during the Second World War, to protect Peteborough in case of invasion, guarding places such as Perkins and the brickworks.

Terry Sismore was 16, and apprenticed at Perkins, when he joined up in 1941 aged 16, in Eye, near Peterborough. He joined the army when he was old enough, and served from 1942 for five years, as a military policeman.

Describing his time as one of England's forgotten heroes, the grandfather, who now lives in Dogsthorpe, said: "We took it really seriously, there was a war on and the invasion seemed very real.

"I used to have a 303 issue rifle and five rounds of ammunition to take home with me every night.

"We did lots of training, we trained in Dogsthorpe brickyard's knot hole (clay pit), where we used to fire weapons. We used to go to Uffington, near the hills and holes to do exercises."

Once demobbed, he married Doreen, his wife of 58 years, in 1949 and went back to work at Perkins before retiring.

Also inspecting the troops on parade, was Leonard "Nobby" Clarke (86), who was a member of Wisbech's platoon before transferring to the army and seeing active service in Africa and Italy.

His army career was tragically curtailed after losing a leg on the battlefield in 1942, so once discharged he returned to Peterborough to work as a painter and decorator, his job when he was in the Home Guard.

Mr Clarke, from Stanground, a great-great-grandfather, said: "Seeing them all in the old uniforms brought back memories. It was a pretty serious thing, I remember my brother, Neville, not turning up for parade and an armed guard arrived to haul him out of bed as he had forgotten."

Although Dad's Army, was a comedy, the writers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft were very keen to avoid denigrating those brave men who served in the Home Guard

The new play, which marched into the Key Theatre on Monday also has the added bonus of showcasing two lost episodes never before seen by television audience.s

For the former Home Guarders, the threat of home invasion was very real, highlighted by the fact that in papers found in Germany, showed the Third Reich were intending setting up one of their bases in Willow Hall, at Eye.

Read Ian Ray's review of Dad's Army 14 May 2008

Related: Interview: Jimmy Perry, co-creator of Dad's Army

Factfile: Home Guard

• The Home Guard ran from 1940 until 1944, and comprised of 1.5 million local volunteers,otherwise ineligible for military service, usually owing to age, who acted as a secondary defence force.


• The hit BBC comedy series ran for nine years from 1968 until 1977.


• The village of Walmington-on-Sea was a fictional south coast town based on writer Jimmy Perry's experiences.


• The play is running until Saturday at the Key Theatre.


• A privately funded website dedicated to researching the history of The Home Guard - www.home-guard.org.uk


• BBC: Dad's Army pages