Captain Hans Geering
Encyclopedia
Captain Hans Geering is a fictional character from the British sitcom series 'Allo 'Allo!
. He was played by actor Sam Kelly
.
in the Wehrmacht
. The rank is denoted by two gilt stars, and the white band around the epaulette gives his arm of service as infantry
. In the first episode, however, his uniform is that of a lieutenant
, one rank junior to Captain, although he is still referred to as Captain Geering. Hans likes to fool around with the waitress Maria Recamier
- while the Colonel prefers Yvette Carte-Blanche
- of which he partakes preferentially with egg whisk and/or wet celery for which it is not uncommon to pay extra.
In Episode 1 Hans and the Colonel get their uniforms stolen by René
in order to help the British Airmen. They are forced to hide in the waitresses' bedroom.
(Stalag Luft IV
, although that camp is actually in Poland
). Hans is used for the first test of their escape mechanism, a wooden see-saw. After René jumps from the roof of a hut onto one end, Hans is propelled from the other over the fence, where Communist Resistance
girls pick him up and disappear into the woods.
It emerges (via a radio conversation in the following episode) that Hans was mistaken for a British airman by the Communist Resistance and sent to Britain
, where he is now working for British Intelligence. The war is over for Hans, and also his role as a main character in 'Allo 'Allo!
in an aeroplane, originally destined for the British airmen. However, it is Edith that accidentally goes with René. They land in London
, and Winston Churchill
requests their presence. However, they are taken to Intelligence first. Seeing that they are not the airmen, the Intelligence boss calls his interpreter, Captain Hans Geering. However, upon entering the room, he doesn't seem to have gotten rid of the habit of raising his hand and greeting them with a loud 'tler!'. When alone with René and Edith, he explains how he became an English citizen and an ally (as he revealed in "The Great Unescape", he was sent to school in Coventry). He also reveals that he found out, while working with the Intelligence, that René is the Resistance activist known as Night Hawke.
Hans, a naturalised British citizen, speaks English with an upper-class, "old-chap" British accent. It is revealed that he knew how to speak English even back in Nouvion. (Ironically enough, despite its phonetic similarity to "Göring
," Geering is actually an English surname) He takes René and Edith to some important places in London. By night, René and Edith return home.
'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC One from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. It is a parody of another BBC programme, the wartime drama Secret Army, and was created by David Croft, who also wrote the theme music, and Jeremy Lloyd. Lloyd and Croft wrote the first 6...
. He was played by actor Sam Kelly
Sam Kelly
Sam Kelly is an English actor who has appeared in television, radio and theatre.-Career:He has had roles in British sitcoms such as Porridge as Bunny Warren, Allo 'Allo! as Captain Hans Geering leaving after series three, On the Up as Dennis Waterman's chauffeur and We'll Think of Something as Les...
.
First episode
Hans is Colonel Kurt Von Strohm's assistant and usually comes with him to the café. (Although not stated on screen, the screenplay says Hans is the Colonel's brother-in-law.) His rank is that of Captain, which is equal to HauptmannHauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. The rank is denoted by two gilt stars, and the white band around the epaulette gives his arm of service as infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. In the first episode, however, his uniform is that of a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, one rank junior to Captain, although he is still referred to as Captain Geering. Hans likes to fool around with the waitress Maria Recamier
Maria Recamier
Maria Recamier is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. She was played by the actress Francesca Gonshaw....
- while the Colonel prefers Yvette Carte-Blanche
Yvette Carte-Blanche
Yvette Carte-Blanche is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. She was played by the actress Vicki Michelle....
- of which he partakes preferentially with egg whisk and/or wet celery for which it is not uncommon to pay extra.
In Episode 1 Hans and the Colonel get their uniforms stolen by René
René François Artois
René François Artois is a fictional character, the main character in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. The character was played by the actor Gorden Kaye...
in order to help the British Airmen. They are forced to hide in the waitresses' bedroom.
Development
Hans develops the habit of greeting other officers with the abbreviated line "-tler" (for 'Heil Hitler'). Geering often heralded the Führer by saying "-tler!" instead of the full salute, when said incredibly fast, sounded like 'clop', it was humorous because if there was a whole group of Nazis, there would be several 'Heil Hitlers' followed in the background by a 'clop'. He also seems to easily slip into Anti-German thinking as on more than one occasion after learning of something bad another German has done or Germans have done in general he will exclaim "German swine!" In an episode where Geering and Von Strohm must retrieve a painting, Hans hits a German guard over the head, knocking him unconscious. Von Strohm is mortified, saying, "Hans, you're knocking out our own people!" to which Hans replies, "It was a good shot, wasn't it?"Leaving the series
In the opening episode of Series 4, René, Edith, the waitresses, the Colonel, the British Airmen and Hans are trying to escape a prisoner-of-war campPrisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
(Stalag Luft IV
Stalag Luft IV
Stalag Luft IV was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp in Gross Tychow, Pomerania .-Camp history:The camp was opened in May 1944. In July of that year a military report was released which described such problems as inadequate shower facilities, unfit distribution of Red Cross parcels, and...
, although that camp is actually in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
). Hans is used for the first test of their escape mechanism, a wooden see-saw. After René jumps from the roof of a hut onto one end, Hans is propelled from the other over the fence, where Communist Resistance
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
girls pick him up and disappear into the woods.
It emerges (via a radio conversation in the following episode) that Hans was mistaken for a British airman by the Communist Resistance and sent to Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where he is now working for British Intelligence. The war is over for Hans, and also his role as a main character in 'Allo 'Allo!
Reappearing
In Season 7, René and Yvette are planning to make their way to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in an aeroplane, originally destined for the British airmen. However, it is Edith that accidentally goes with René. They land in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
requests their presence. However, they are taken to Intelligence first. Seeing that they are not the airmen, the Intelligence boss calls his interpreter, Captain Hans Geering. However, upon entering the room, he doesn't seem to have gotten rid of the habit of raising his hand and greeting them with a loud 'tler!'. When alone with René and Edith, he explains how he became an English citizen and an ally (as he revealed in "The Great Unescape", he was sent to school in Coventry). He also reveals that he found out, while working with the Intelligence, that René is the Resistance activist known as Night Hawke.
Hans, a naturalised British citizen, speaks English with an upper-class, "old-chap" British accent. It is revealed that he knew how to speak English even back in Nouvion. (Ironically enough, despite its phonetic similarity to "Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
," Geering is actually an English surname) He takes René and Edith to some important places in London. By night, René and Edith return home.