After listening to a radio broadcast asking for men to form what was to become known as the home guard, George Mainwaring, a local bank manager, decides to act and form the platoon on his own. He appoints himself as Captain and recuruits his chief bank clerk Arthur Wilson as the platoon sergeant as well as enlisting the banks office boy Frank Pike. Several of the local tradesmen, including James Frazer; a philatelist shopkeeper, retired shop worker Charles Godfrey, Jack Jones the butcher and black market business man; Joe Walker also volunteer their service for 'King and Country'.. And so, The Walmington-On-Sea Home Guard was born.

With the shortage of weapons, Capt Mainwaring goes to the local museum, to see if any of the guns that are on display can be used, by the platoon.

Capt Mainwaring worried about the lack of weapons gets a visit from a Capt Square an old soldier who offers to donate some guns from his collection providing that he can take command of the platoon. Mainwaring agrees until he sees the state of the guns.

Capt Mainwaring is giving a lecture on recognizing enemy agents when he learns that for every Nazi that they capture there is a reward Later on the section on patrol capture two German flyers but back at HQ Godfrey accidently let them escape

Just when the platoon finally get their uniforms LCpl Jones is told that unless he can complete the assault course in 15 minutes he will have to leave So Mainwaring and the rest of the platoon think of a plan to help him

When news that the Prime Minister is to pay a visit to the area a shooting contest is held to see which of the local platoons will form the honor guard Walker gets a crack shot from the theatre touring show ( Barbara Windsor ) to take part as a member of the platoon but a surprise is in store for everybody

The Colonel orders Mainwaring and the platoon to make a training film with a couple of well known actors but unknown to Mainwaring they are to play the Germans Mainwaring refuses to take part but the rest of the platoon are ordered to When the filming is cancelled Mainwaring and the men still dressed as German soldiers are spotted in the local pub and the alarm is given

Pike finally gets his call up papers and is to join the Airforce but when his blood that has been donated for the red cross is checked it is found to be from a rare group and he is excused military service Then he has to find a way to break the news to the platoon

Godfrey's cottage is due to be demolished to make way for a new airfield but no-one can bring themselves to break the news to him until Jones finds out that he already knows. In the end Frazer, knowing the family history of the General in charge, bribes him to get the airfield moved 200 yards. This results in some rather amusing consequences. The door to Mainwaring's bank office is replaced with a paper door, apart from the insult of not having a proper door Mainwaring is even more annoyed at the fact that Pike the Colonel and Jones manage to destroy it within minutes of it being installed.

Captain Mainwaring gives a lecture on field craft in the vicar's garden, covering what to eat and how to erect a tent. Later, apart from having to put with the vicar, verger, Hodges and a gang of boy scouts, their field maneuvers are also interupted by three German fliers who have been shot down and are trapped in their dinghy in the middle of the lake... ""Handi hoch! Handi hoch!""

Cpl Jones has problems with his bank account. When Mainwaring tries to help, he finds that the trail leads through the platoon, on to Mrs Pike, and ends with Mr Hodges.

Mainwaring has visions of promotion for himself and Wilson and of expanding the platoon into a company, so he embarks on a recruitment drive. A poster is drawn up and Jones is voted to be in it. Unfortunately a mix-up at the printers results in Jones being branded an escaped prisoner of war instead.

The people of Walmington-On-Sea are becoming apathetic about the war effort. When practicing on a firing range, Mainwaring is told to keep the noise down and Hodges is verbally assaulted for his efforts as chief warden. Mainwaring decides to scare his townfolk by getting the platoon to dress up as fifth columnists and marching through the countryside 'asking ze questions!' Will their plan work? Or will Mainwaring just end up looking rather silly infront of Captain Square and the Eastgate platoon?

Capt Mainwaring is to be an umpire in a war game exercise so he gets the use of a car Pike meets a girl and uses the car to take her out but they stay out all night and the whole town is shocked

During a ' Wings For Victory ' fundraising event the platoon decide to stage a reenactment of the battle between St George and the Dragon but friction starts when Hodges and the wardens plan the same thing

Frazer is busy counting up his earnings when his doctor visits and accidentally knocks over a money box revealing that Frazer is far from poor. Concerned, the doctor alerts Mainwaring, who alerts Jones and very soon Frazer's fortune is the subject of town gossip. Eventually the platoon, Hodges, the Vicar and the Verger are spying on Frazer to see what he does with his money. Will they get their hands on it, or does Frazer have a sneaky trick up his sleeve?

The platoon take over from the regular army in guarding some vital telephone wires During an air raid a bomb lands in the wires and a way has to be found to get it down before it explodes

Lance Corporal Jones wants to marry Mrs Fox but has to get Capt Mainwarings permission. During the reception an invasion alert is called and Jones spends his wedding night on the beach doing guard duty

Capt Mainwaring has gone into hospital for an operation on an ingrowing toenail Meanwhile Wilson as acting C O has Asked the Vicar and the Verger to join the platoon to make up the numbers

Pike gets his head caught in the park railings and the platoon are summoned to help meanwhile a large bomb has exploded near the town and has put the gas and electricity supplies out of order When Mainwaring returns to hear what has happened he puts the town under martial law

While on maneuvers the platoon come in contact with an escaped gorilla

The platoon have taken charge of a large field gun and have to learn how to use it

The platoon are asked to provide guard duty at a testing ground for secret weapons but when one of the devices gets loose the platoon have to give chase

The platoon hold a dance where Pike is going to announce his engagement to a local girl Sgt Wilson tries to get him to change his mind but Pike will not be put off.

Don't Fence Me In is the fifth episode of the fourth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Friday 23 October 1970.