John Le Mesurier

Elegant British Actor, raised in Bury St Edmunds and initially trained in law, Le Mesurier had been immortalised as the ineffective Sgt Wilson in Dad's Army, but was a prominent performer on TV for four decades.

In the 1950's he started on children's television (including in Whirligig) and went on to be a regular guest on Hancock's Half Hour, appeared as Colonel Maynard in George and the Dragon and headlined as the hard-up aristocrat, Lord Beasham in A Class By Himself.

His performance in the Dennis Potter play, Traitor, based on the spy Kim Philby, was much acclaimed. Le Mesurier (his stage name was his Mother's maiden name - him real name is unknown) was also seen in such programmes as The Avengers, The Troubleshooters, The Goodies, Doctor At Large, Worzel Gummidge and Brideshead Revisited, and his voice was as familiar as his face, thanks to numerous Homepride flour commercials and the children's animation Bod, for which he was narrator. His second wife was Hattie Jaques (Carry On screen star)