When David Jason was 14, he appeared in juvenile court for stealing lead. Here, Del Boy steals three tons of lead for use as a fallout shelter.
The idea for the script was based on a true story which John Sullivan was reading about, which involved a group of people who did as the script suggested: purchased lead and built an air-raid shelter.
During his "war is hell" speech, Grandad mentions his brother, George, who would also be mentioned in Strained Relations (1985) as being Del's assumed godfather.
The episode was first screened whilst the real-life Soviet war in Afghanistan was ongoing.