owe ' s ▁port ray al ▁of ▁him . ▁Many ▁of ▁his ▁quotes , ▁such ▁as , ▁" You ▁stupid ▁boy ! ", ▁are ▁eng rained ▁in ▁British ▁pop ▁culture . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Channel ▁ 4 ▁poll ▁Captain ▁Main w aring ▁was ▁ranked ▁ 2 1 st ▁on ▁their ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Great est ▁TV ▁Char acters . ▁ ▁Person ality ▁Main w aring ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁to ▁Edmund ▁Main w aring ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁pom p ous , ▁bl ust ering ▁figure ▁with ▁an ▁over develop ed ▁sense ▁of ▁his ▁importance , ▁fuel led ▁by ▁his ▁social ▁status ▁in ▁Wal ming ton - on - Se a ▁as ▁the ▁bank ▁manager ▁and ▁his ▁status ▁as ▁Captain ▁and ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Home ▁Guard ▁volunte er ▁unit . ▁He ▁became ▁commander ▁of ▁his ▁home ▁guard ▁unit ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁captain ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁British ▁conflict , ▁despite ▁serving ▁' some where ▁in ▁the ▁Or k ne ys ' ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁War ▁and ▁only ▁being ▁deployed ▁to ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁the ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁arm ist ice ▁was ▁signed . ▁He ▁was ▁later ▁officially ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁Captain ▁by ▁the ▁G H Q , ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁" Ro om ▁at ▁the ▁B ottom ", ▁after ▁his ▁brief ▁reduction ▁in ▁rank . ▁Despite ▁his ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁master ▁tail or , ▁it ▁is ▁revealed ▁that