Biography
Arnold Ridley (1896–1984) was an English actor and playwright. Born William Arnold Ridley in Bath, Somerset, he trained at the University of Bristol and made his stage debut before the First World War. He served in both world wars and sustained serious injuries in the first.
Ridley achieved early success as a playwright with The Ghost Train (1925), which ran in the West End and was filmed several times. He later returned to acting, appearing in films and television series including The Avengers (1967) and Carry On Girls (1973). He became widely known for portraying the gentle Private Charles Godfrey in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977).
In 1982 he was appointed OBE for services to the theatre. He continued working into his eighties and died in 1984.
