Which actor played Major Gowen in Fawlty Towers?

Ballard Berkeley played Major Gowen in Fawlty Towers.

Major Gowen is a retired, slightly senile soldier who lives permanently at the hotel. Unlike many guests and visitors, he generally receives Basil Fawlty’s patience and respect, although Basil is still exasperated by his forgetfulness and eccentric conversations. The Major is especially associated with his enthusiastic interest in cricket and his recollections of military life.

Berkeley was an English stage and screen actor whose career began in the 1930s. He also served as a Metropolitan Police special constable during the Second World War and appeared in films and television programmes including In Which We Serve and The Main Chance.

The wrong options can look plausible because Geoffrey Palmer, Bruce Boa and Bernard Cribbins were all recognisable British actors who appeared in television and comedy productions, but none played Major Gowen. Berkeley appeared in both Fawlty Towers series, broadcast in 1975 and 1979, and the role became one of his best-known performances.