Dad’s Army actor Bill Pertwee (1926–2013), who spent the final part of his life living in Cornwall, will feature in a set of Royal Mail special stamps marking the 50th birthday of the popular sitcom.

A total of eight stamps will be issued, each celebrating a key character together with their most memorable catchphrase. Bill Pertwee played Chief Warden Hodges in the series and features on one of the stamps saying “Put that light out!”

Bill was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in 1926 and was a prolific performer in theatre, variety, music hall and pantomime. A member of the Air Training Corps during the war, he later worked as a warm-up man, became a regular on radio in Beyond Our Ken and Round the Horne, and starred in another Croft and Perry sitcom, You Rang, M’Lord?

In 1968, Bill was offered the role of Chief Warden Hodges in Dad’s Army, and appeared in 60 episodes of the series. He was the co-founder of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society, and in 2007 was awarded the MBE for his services to charity.

Bill had one son, Jonathan, with his wife, Marion. Like his father, Jonathan is also an actor, known for his role in the 1992 film Carry on Columbus. Jonathan took part in a specially arranged photoshoot at his home in Cornwall to celebrate the launch of the stamps.