Home Guard Battalions

[IMBER]

Thanks, looking at your photo thinking we should have some, I went and found his whistle. It has RAP on it so maybe he wasnt in the home guard (which could explain why I can find no records) but an air raid person?? I will ask maybe someone knows what the initials stand for.

Might that actually be ARP (Air Raid Precautions)?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-WW2-A-R-P-Whistle-Air-Raid-warning-Precautions-J-Hudson-Birmingham-/140964171857?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item20d21e9051

[SomersetDave]

Hi Robert

Attached is the photo (hopefully, if I've added it correctly) of 8 Platoon, C Company, 22nd S Staffs HG, dated December 1941. My father is extreme left, middle row.

I have no idea where it was taken.

My father did mention that his outfit was used, at one time, to guard the power station.

Dave

[ChrisEM]

Some information which might be of interest to contributors to this thread, if anyone still looks at it.

I have recently put online a number of good quality images of the 22nd Staffordshire (Wolverhampton) Battalion, Home Guard. Some of them are captioned. "C" Coy. appears. They can be seen here: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscences13122ndStaffs.htm

Amongst my images was an identical print to that posted here by SomersetDave. What I didn't have was the identification of the Platoon, nor any names apart from that of the officer, Lt J. A. Lloyd. I have taken the liberty therefore of using the information which SomersetDave included with his photograph, together with appropriate acknowledgement. I hope that's okay.

The images in my website page are of reasonably high definition. They should be capable of further magnification, for identification purposes, especially if anyone is looking at them on a tablet rather than a larger display. It would be great if we could add some further names to the published faces. I should also really appreciate permission to reproduce the image which Uplands posted showing his father in a Guard of Honour.

Chris

PS to Admin. Wouldn't this thread be better in the WW2 section?

[Thooperfly]

This is an interesting subject.

Does anyone know anything about the Leicestershire Home Guard? I recently found out that my Grandad Raymond Nelson was in it, possibly based in Enderby. From vague comments from my Dad, he apparently did something to do with aircraft locally but it now seems he was also in the Home Guard.

For someone his age it was odd not to have been sent overseas to fight (he was born in 1916) - so whatever he was doing must have been in a reserved occupation. Perhaps the Home Guard research might help me find out what he did next to this?
In 1939 he was recorded as an Engineer living on Knighton Fields Road. By 1940 he married my Grandma in Enderby (her home village).
From what I know - they lived there for the duration of the war having 3 sons in 1941, 1944 & 1945. The latter being my Dad.

Postwar he worked in the aircraft industry - but I only have info about what he did in the 60's, when he worked for Beagle-Auster aircraft at Rearsby.

Any help would be appreciated and apologies for "hi-jacking" this thread. ;-)

Regards,

John.

[ScouseBoy]

ParlonsRosbif,

He may have worked in Battle damaged Aircraft Repairs during WW2?

[Thooperfly]

ParlonsRosbif,

He may have worked in Battle damaged Aircraft Repairs during WW2?

Hi Scouseboy,

I remember my Dad saying that his Dad was at Braunstone Aerodrome during WW2. But I've since found out that this was just an emergency landing field for Desford. Am not sure if there was a lot of activity at Braunstone or not.

Desford appeared to be a hive of activity, with a training school, aircraft repair unit and a Spitfire assembly factory. All on the site of where Caterpillar is now.

Sometime towards the end of the war, or possibly postwar, I know my Grandparents ended up moving to the brick built "prefabs" on Swinford Avenue in Glen Parva. My Dad lived there until he got married in 1969 to my Mum.

At first the road was called Stanhope Avenue - before it became Swinford. Part of this still exists, running from next to The Glen on Hillsborough Road. The bit where my Grandparents lived (between Hillsborough Road and the end of Grange Drive) disappeared when the Rupert Estate was built in the mid 70's.

I was told that these prefabs were built for aircraft workers. Also not that far away, at Blaby Wharf (opposite the The County Arms as was), was an RAF depot. This was used to recuperate parts from scrapped aircraft for re-use.

Could be he was involved with that.

At the moment I have lots of possible avenues but nothing concrete.

I have a photo of my Grandad in Home Guard uniform. On is shoulder is mentioned "Home Guard IEI 8" (or 1E1) - On his hat is the Leicestershire Regiment lion badge. Thats the only thing I can get from the photo.

John.

[ChrisEM]

John,

Austin Ruddy wrote an excellent book on the Leicestershire Home Guard - "To The Last Round". May be worth a look.  (The author also runs a useful general HG page).

The shoulder insignia is likely to be "LEI...."

Chris

[Thooperfly]

John,

Austin Ruddy wrote an excellent book on the Leicestershire Home Guard - "To The Last Round". May be worth a look.  (The author also runs a useful general HG page).

The shoulder insignia is likely to be "LEI...."

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the reply. Yes I noticed this book and have been trying to find somewhere to buy it from (I'm in France). I also came across another book called "But for These Things – Leicester and its People in WWII" as well, which might also be a useful read.
I found a preview of it in Google Books in which someone mentioned making a flight from Desford to Braunstone in an RAF Training School Tiger Moth.

I think I need to find out what my Grandad was doing in addition to being in the HG and whether Braunstone Aerodrome was very active in WW2.

It is a pity I never knew him, as he died before I was born.

You are probably right about the LEI insignia - it is a scan of the original photo, so the lettering isn't very clear.

Thanks for your help,

John.

[ScouseBoy]

RAF Lutterworth   played a very important role in the development of the Jet engine.