Carry On England

During the darkest days of the war, Captain S Melly is placed in charge of the experimental 1313 Anti-Aircraft Battery. He is joined by the boisterous Sergeant Major Tiger Bloomer, who struggles to keep order. The setup hints at an unconventional unit, including women among the ranks.

Melly soon discovers that half the men are women, led by Ready, Willing and Able. The dynamic promises humor and friction as traditional lines blur in the battery. This contrasts with the usual all male wartime unit.

Tiger cannot discipline properly because he is unable to swear around the female troops and must dodge the advances of Private Ffoukes-Sharpe. The tension between command and desire complicates daily routines. The barracks atmosphere becomes a source of comedy and strain.

Melly shakes things up with a fake air raid, but the unit dives into their private bunker, the Snoggery. The incident exposes a far bigger problem: the anti-aircraft cannon is made of wood. Real guns remain scarce, underscoring the war's resource constraints.

Determined to get the battery up to standard, Melly and Tiger institute rigorous retraining, including violent exercise and 12-mile route marches. The platoon endures the grueling regimen as they push toward unit cohesion. The unusual gender mix adds an extra layer of challenge.

Ready, Willing and Able sabotage Melly's uniform, leaving him red-faced and bare-cheeked. The prank tests authority and resilience under pressure. It foreshadows the ongoing power dynamics within the battery.

In response to the sabotage, the entire battery is confined to camp. Melly fails to realise that men and women in close quarters do not need to leave base to find companionship. The new home life amplifies both camaraderie and tension.

Melly tries to separate men from women with barbed wire around sleeping quarters, round-the-clock drills and separate mealtimes. The measures create strain but also a sense of disciplined order. The unit learns to navigate the harsh new rules.

Desperate for contact, the battery digs secret tunnels under the barbed wire for easy access to their lovers. The tunnels quicken reunions and bring a smile back to the unit. The improvised networks highlight the human need for companionship in war.

The very next day Melly finally takes delivery of a real anti-aircraft cannon, which promptly falls into the tunnel. The battery scrambles to retrieve it, illustrating their improvisational resourcefulness. The mishap creates a new logistical challenge amid the siege.

To avoid Melly being reassigned, the battery sabotages an inspection by the Brigadier. The maneuver shows their willingness to bend rules to keep their commander. It also demonstrates the crew's cleverness under pressure.

A real air raid arrives and the battery and officers pull together to defend England, shooting down all enemy planes. The action leaves Captain Melly with two sprained fingers as a minor casualty. Those fingers go on to inspire one of the most famous symbols of victory from the war.