Trivia

He was a POW in Austria for 4 years during WWII

His character in Dad's Army (1968), Corporal Jones was based on a real life character.

He spent his last three decades of his life living in Portugal, where he painted portraits, landscapes, and seascapes until his eyesight failed.

While a POW during WWII, he became a medical orderly. Since he could speak some German, he was the prisoners' spokesman.

A staunch socialist, Dunn often clashed with conservative fellow Dad's Army (1968) star, Arthur Lowe, off-the-set.

Had a hit with the song, "Grandad". It topped the British charts in the early 70s and was used in his TV show of the same name. The song remained on the charts for 28 weeks.

He was made an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama.

David Jason was apparently considered for Dunn's most famous role, that of Jones on the BBC series Dad's Army (1968).

He was aged between 48-57 when he was playing Corporal Jones during Dad's Army (1968)'s nine year run. The character was meant to be in his seventies.

Born into a show-business family. His parents were comedian & baritone Robert (Bobby) Dunn and comedienne Connie Clive, and his maternal grandfather was music hall comedian Frank Lynne.

In his memoirs, "Permission to Speak", he described how he embraced fascism briefly while at a public school in the 1930s. Like many of his friends, he joined Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists because "it seemed patriotic". He later rejected them once he detected their anti-Semitism.

Starred in a six-part series for BBC Radio in 1988, Definitely Dunn, a mix of jokes, songs and anecdotes from his 50 years in showbusiness.

Has often played older people.

Cousin of Gretchen Franklin

He spent the last three decades of his life in the Algarve, Portugal, and occupied himself as an artist, painting portraits, landscapes and seascapes, until his sight failed.