Carry on England
In 1940, Captain S Melly (Kenneth Connor) is put in charge of an experimental mixed 1313 Anti-Aircraft Battery during the darkest days of the Second World War. Melly soon discovers the "experiment" is…
Carry on England
In 1940, Captain S Melly (Kenneth Connor) is put in charge of an experimental mixed 1313 Anti-Aircraft Battery during the darkest days of the Second World War. Melly soon discovers the "experiment" is that half his men are women. The 1313 was commissioned by Winston Churchill himself, but none of the commanding officers are able to make it work. As Melly approaches the unit, he is aghast to see a basket of flowers and curtains hanging from the barracks. It's a relief for Captain Bull (David Lodge) to greet his relief, who kisses Melly on his way out. Melly isn't prepared for the ball-squeezing Sergeant Major "Tiger" Bloomer (Windsor Davies) and the randy antics of Bombardier Ready (Jack Douglas), Sergeant Tilly Willing (Judy Geeson) and Sergeant Len Able (Patrick Mower). Sergeant Tilly Willing leads the women contingent of the battery. Willing and Able are a couple. Tiger is unable to discipline properly as he is unable to swear around women and must avoid the libidinous advances of Private Ffoukes-Sharpe. Meanwhile the battery is happy to spend the war in each other's beds. Forever feigning illness or hiding in their underground "Snoggery" (which is what they call the air raid shelter), the troops are happily getting to grips with each other rather than the enemy. Melly is adamant to put his troops in shape and Tiger proposes to put a few in front of the firing squad. Most prominent of the females is Private Alice Easy (Diane Langton) who tries to charm her new commanding officer but only succeeds in propelling her top button into his system! Private Jennifer Ffoukes-Sharpe (Joan Sims) pines for "Tiger" while everybody - including little Gunner Shorthouse (Melvyn Hayes) - gets a piece of the action. Melly orders a fake air raid to test the squad's readiness and sounds the air raid siren. The troops were having lunch and they promptly run into air raid shelters upon hearing the siren. Its only when Sharpe takes pity on Tiger that she orders the troops to get out of the shelter & stand at parade rest. Melly is in for an even worse shock when he learns that the anti-aircraft cannon is made of wood as with a war on, real guns are hard to come by. Melly orders Tiger to run the brigade into the ground, but the brigade demonstrates its supreme ineptness and demoralizes Tiger instead. The brigade makes Tiger demonstrate every obstacle on the obstacle course, and then sabotages it, so Tiger ends up falling in the mud pits, or on barbed wires and such. Melly then decides to take things into his own hands by ordering a surprise inspection of the barracks. All the ladies are at the men's barracks, kissing and smooching. The men have installed a trip fire with an excreta pit to avoid this exact same thing. Melly goes into the excreta pit, twice & manages to injure his bum, without achieving anything concrete with the inspection. Then Melly orders a 12-mile hike but has to borrow battle fatigues from the troops as both his uniforms are covered in excreta. The troops apply some abrasive chemicals to the stitches, so that they come part during the hike, leaving Melly in only his undergarments. The entire battalion laughs its head off. Even Tiger cannot suppress his smile at Melly's condition. Melly was rubbing Tiger the wrong way by forcing him on the 12-mile hikes, even though his feet were not in the best condition for hiking. Melly charges the entire Brigade and wants to see them in his office for sentencing. Tiger pushes the entire brigade into Melly's office, which ends up squishing him against the wall by a female soldier. Eventually, Melly has to let them off, as he can't even speak in that condition. The whole battery is confined to camp as punishment, Melly not realizing that men and women in close quarters don't need to leave camp to enjoy themselves. Realising his mistake Melly endeavors to separate man from woman with barbed wire around the sleeping quarters, round the clock battle drills and separate mealtimes. Melly orders total segregation of men and women (by installing barbed wire between the men and women barracks), to stop all the Snoggery that the troops engage in. He orders morning Reveille to wake up the brigade at dawn, as the troops to waking up at their own leisure. He then orders that all troops to always wear battle trousers (no skirts) "and that is all". The women are so angry that they troop out to parade in bare breasts and trousers. In desperation, they both start tunneling towards each other's barracks (in parallel tunnels). They still don't end up meeting each other. Melly then orders a live anti-aircraft gun to be installed at the battalion as the one they had so far was wooden. The anti-aircraft gun gets stuck in the ground where the tunnel was built. Melly is livid & makes the battalion pull the gun out of the tunnel holes. Even after a tip-off to the medical officer, Major Butcher (Julian Holloway) segregation and rigorous training, the unit is still a laggard. An inspection by the cowardly Brigadier (Peter Jones) and Major Carstairs (Peter Butterworth) is the perfect opportunity for the troops to get their revenge on Melly & they do everything to that effect. They put a woman's bloomers up the flagpole. Melly is turned upside down during the gun drill. Then they jam the gun on purpose, and when Melly removes the jam, he is covered in soot. He goes to take a bath, but his soap is replaced with a chemical that turns blue when he comes in contact with air. Then his uniform is replaced with a woman's uniform, and Melly has to strut around in a skirt. When a real air raid arrives both battery and officers pull together to defend England, successfully shooting down all enemy planes and with only one casualty: Captain Melly's two sprained fingers, which go on to inspire one of the most famous symbols of victory for the entire war.
Carry on England
Comedy,War
Film Details
In 1940, Captain S Melly (Kenneth Connor) is put in charge of an experimental mixed 1313 Anti-Aircraft Battery during the darkest days of the Second World War. Melly soon discovers the "experiment" is that half his men are women. The 1313 was commissioned by Winston Churchill himself, but none of the commanding officers are able to make it work.
As Melly approaches the unit, he is aghast to see a basket of flowers and curtains hanging from the barracks. It's a relief for Captain Bull (David Lodge) to greet his relief, who kisses Melly on his way out. Melly isn't prepared for the ball-squeezing Sergeant Major "Tiger" Bloomer (Windsor Davies) and the randy antics of Bombardier Ready (Jack Douglas), Sergeant Tilly Willing (Judy Geeson) and Sergeant Len Able (Patrick Mower).
Sergeant Tilly Willing leads the women contingent of the battery. Willing and Able are a couple. Tiger is unable to discipline properly as he is unable to swear around women and must avoid the libidinous advances of Private Ffoukes-Sharpe.
Meanwhile the battery is happy to spend the war in each other's beds. Forever feigning illness or hiding in their underground "Snoggery" (which is what they call the air raid shelter), the troops are happily getting to grips with each other rather than the enemy. Melly is adamant to put his troops in shape and Tiger proposes to put a few in front of the firing squad.
Most prominent of the females is Private Alice Easy (Diane Langton) who tries to charm her new commanding officer but only succeeds in propelling her top button into his system! Private Jennifer Ffoukes-Sharpe (Joan Sims) pines for "Tiger" while everybody - including little Gunner Shorthouse (Melvyn Hayes) - gets a piece of the action. Melly orders a fake air raid to test the squad's readiness and sounds the air raid siren. The troops were having lunch and they promptly run into air raid shelters upon hearing the siren.
Its only when Sharpe takes pity on Tiger that she orders the troops to get out of the shelter & stand at parade rest. Melly is in for an even worse shock when he learns that the anti-aircraft cannon is made of wood as with a war on, real guns are hard to come by. Melly orders Tiger to run the brigade into the ground, but the brigade demonstrates its supreme ineptness and demoralizes Tiger instead.
The brigade makes Tiger demonstrate every obstacle on the obstacle course, and then sabotages it, so Tiger ends up falling in the mud pits, or on barbed wires and such. Melly then decides to take things into his own hands by ordering a surprise inspection of the barracks. All the ladies are at the men's barracks, kissing and smooching.
The men have installed a trip fire with an excreta pit to avoid this exact same thing. Melly goes into the excreta pit, twice & manages to injure his bum, without achieving anything concrete with the inspection. Then Melly orders a 12-mile hike but has to borrow battle fatigues from the troops as both his uniforms are covered in excreta.
The troops apply some abrasive chemicals to the stitches, so that they come part during the hike, leaving Melly in only his undergarments. The entire battalion laughs its head off. Even Tiger cannot suppress his smile at Melly's condition.
Melly was rubbing Tiger the wrong way by forcing him on the 12-mile hikes, even though his feet were not in the best condition for hiking. Melly charges the entire Brigade and wants to see them in his office for sentencing. Tiger pushes the entire brigade into Melly's office, which ends up squishing him against the wall by a female soldier.
Eventually, Melly has to let them off, as he can't even speak in that condition. The whole battery is confined to camp as punishment, Melly not realizing that men and women in close quarters don't need to leave camp to enjoy themselves. Realising his mistake Melly endeavors to separate man from woman with barbed wire around the sleeping quarters, round the clock battle drills and separate mealtimes.
Melly orders total segregation of men and women (by installing barbed wire between the men and women barracks), to stop all the Snoggery that the troops engage in. He orders morning Reveille to wake up the brigade at dawn, as the troops to waking up at their own leisure. He then orders that all troops to always wear battle trousers (no skirts) "and that is all".
The women are so angry that they troop out to parade in bare breasts and trousers. In desperation, they both start tunneling towards each other's barracks (in parallel tunnels). They still don't end up meeting each other.
Melly then orders a live anti-aircraft gun to be installed at the battalion as the one they had so far was wooden. The anti-aircraft gun gets stuck in the ground where the tunnel was built. Melly is livid & makes the battalion pull the gun out of the tunnel holes.
Even after a tip-off to the medical officer, Major Butcher (Julian Holloway) segregation and rigorous training, the unit is still a laggard. An inspection by the cowardly Brigadier (Peter Jones) and Major Carstairs (Peter Butterworth) is the perfect opportunity for the troops to get their revenge on Melly & they do everything to that effect. They put a woman's bloomers up the flagpole.
Melly is turned upside down during the gun drill. Then they jam the gun on purpose, and when Melly removes the jam, he is covered in soot. He goes to take a bath, but his soap is replaced with a chemical that turns blue when he comes in contact with air.
Then his uniform is replaced with a woman's uniform, and Melly has to strut around in a skirt. When a real air raid arrives both battery and officers pull together to defend England, successfully shooting down all enemy planes and with only one casualty: Captain Melly's two sprained fingers, which go on to inspire one of the most famous symbols of victory for the entire war..