Will we ever find the missing Dad's Army episodes?

[Angel Amezquita (Angelgreat)]

Since the 2001 recovery of of "Operation Kilt" and "The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage", we still are missing Three Episodes of Dad's Army. Since then, no more missing episodes have been found, leaving "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker", "A Stripe for Frazer" and "Under Fire" still missing.

The only currently remaining hope for recovery is either that the lost episodes were recorded off-air during their original UK broadcasts using a Shibaden or Sony CV-2000 machine, or 16 mm tele-recordings being saved from being junked.

Also, I think that Dad's Army is overshadowed by Doctor Who in terms of missing episodes and fan awareness. If we find the three missing episodes, the series will be complete and the fans would be happy. Plus, it would the series the second BBC show after Steptoe and Son to have its episodes recovered with help from fans. Sure there's the 2016 animation of "A Stripe for Frazer" and the UK Gold's 2018 remake of the 3 missing episodes, but it's not the same.

[deanreynolds]

I think like most DW fans, the only hope for missing Dad's Army to turn up might be in the hands of private collectors. I hope someone out there recorded the missing episodes and one day they will be returned.

[robkeeley]

Did we ever hear any more about the second copy of "The Battle for Godfrey's Cottage" that was said to have been found in a forces overseas station somewhere (apols for imperfect memory)?  That would have been a potential source for the part of the final scene that is still missing due to the 2001 recovered print being damaged.  

[Leighton Haberfield]

Am I right in thinking that series two of Dads Army wasnt sold abroad which is why we dont have those three episodes?

[Mark McKay]

No, that was a fallacy in Graham McCann's book. e.g. see trove.nla.gov.au/search/advanced/category/newspapers?date.from=1960-01-01&date.to=1971-01-01&keyword.phrase=godfrey%27s%20cottage

[Mike Goldwater]

So it appears Series 2 was sent to Australia, if it was 'bicycled' to other countries after then it increases the chance of an episode being found. Unless the copies were returned to the UK for junking that is?

[Angel Amezquita (Angelgreat)]

Maybe if we do find off-air audio recordings of the missing episodes, we could complete them with animation, just like with Doctor Who.

[Dan S]

Radio versions of the missing ones exist. They could complete those with animation if they really really had to have a visual version.

[Angel Amezquita (Angelgreat)]

I really hope that someone has these episodes in their collection. Maybe we should do a reward to get then returned

[simonashby]

Jun 15, 2023 18:07:32 GMT Angel Amezquita (Angelgreat) said:

I really hope that someone has these episodes in their collection. Maybe we should do a reward to get then returned

You've participated in threads about money/rewards on here. The answer, even from those that are experts in this field and are well connected with track records, is always a clear no. No.

[stevehoare61]

I dont think Doctor Who particularly over shows Dads Army or any other show. We just think that because we are here on a page predominantly for DR WHO fans. When episodes have turned up and I remember with Till Death Us do Part recently, they all made headlines. Like anything , if they turn up then fantastic, but like DR WHO, I suspect we are never going to have a full collection.

[deanreynolds]

May 17, 2023 23:51:55 GMT Dan S said:

Radio versions of the missing ones exist. They could complete those with animation if they really really had to have a visual version.

Sadly the missing episodes The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker and Under Fire radio versions do not feature James Beck as Walker. He managed to record A Stripe for Frazer, but the audio for that exists. So any animated versions of those two missing episodes would still have Beck missing from the audio.

[John Wall]

Gold or Yesterday remade the missing episodes.

[jimhope]

It was Gold who remade the missing three episodes