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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: nanny jan on Saturday 03 February 07 13:15 GMT (UK)
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My dad was in the Home Guard; will there be any records of his service ?
Nanny Jan
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My father-in-law was in Home Guard in Northern Ireland during WWII. Apparently they were supposed to get a medal at the end of the war but it was never applied for at the time or something. In the 1990s someone gave me an address to write to about it and I was sent an application form. Filled it out (were able to give approximate dates), sent it away (had to have something notarised I remember) and before too long my father-in-law was sent his medal.
I filled out another form for someone and they also got the medal. However, another man applied and didn't get it- heard afterwards the dates he gave were too far off but not sure if that was correct.
Anyway, there certainly were some sort of records because when the application for was sent to us it listed the exact dates he had served.
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Hi,
My dad also served in the Home Guard his unit was based at the factory he worked in. I once saw a certificate signed by the king thanking him for his service but I'm not sure if that was for the Home Guard or the T A we didn't find it among his possessions after his death I don't think he ever had a medal. I would love that address if you can find it.
Trees
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Will have a look over the weekend but not sure if same address would apply to Home Guard in England.
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I assume it would be the Defence Medal:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/DefenceMedal.htm
Here are the contact details for the medal office:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/ContactingTheMedalOffice.htm
Here is some information on Home Guard service records:
7. Home Guard
Originally the Local Defence Volunteers, personal records and enrolment forms are closed for 75 years, and are currently being held at TNT Archive Service, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0BB, Tel: 01283 227 911/912/913, Fax: 01283 227 942. Information is available to either those who served or next-of-kin. Limited information is available only to those who served, or next of kin. The National Archives Library holds copies of the Home Guard Lists. Histories of various Home Guard units are included in WO 199 (see Appendix 5 - Records of the Militia & Volunteer Forces 1757-1945 Readers Guide No. 3) WO 32 code 66 holds the general registered papers of the Home Guard, while operational records are included with papers of the Prime Ministers Office in PREM 3 . Home Guard War Diaries for the Second World War are in WO 166 , and a file containing recommendations for the award of the British Empire Medal to Home Guard members is in AIR 2/9040 .
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=147
Hope you find this of some interest
Casalguidi
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Found my father-in-law's certificate: "In the years when our Country was in mortal danger [name] who served 16th Jul.1940/31st Dec.1944 gave generously of his time and powers to make himself ready for her defence by force of arms and with his life if need be. [signed] George R.I."
Didn't find address I had but according to www.home-guard.org.uk/hg/hg/hgfaq.html#faq11
"service records can be obtained from the Ministry of Defence by former members of the Home Guard or their next of kin". Also lots of other interesting things on this Home Guard site but link to MoD didn't seem to work.
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See also posting "Home Guard Surrey" under Armed Forces for some more details.
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Thanks for all the info folks; I'll try the address in Swadlincote.
Nanny Jan
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aghadowey, I tried the link but got a not available sign is there something missing?
I'm pretty sure that certificate is like the one I saw just wish I knew where it went.
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As I said earlier I couldn't get the links to work either.
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Sorry so you did I was having a senior moment carried away with the expectation of finding something for my late much missed dad
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Grandad left me a book called "The Home Guard of Britain" by Charles Graves, 1943. Units were asked to send in brief histories and interesting incidents for the book but many never got round to it so coverage is rather hit and miss- for instance the 11th Bn Salop HG managed 3 closely typed pages while the 21st Middlesex Bn just said that "No unusual incidents have arisen." It might be useful though if the unit is known.
Fred
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Fred,
Can you look for me?
Dad was in 52nd Battalion Royal Warwick Regiment attached to the Nufield Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich
Many thanks Trees
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Fred,
Can you have a look for me as well? Dad was in a unit attached to Ultra Electrics Factory and then one in South Harrow; both Middlesex. Long shot but you never know!
Many thanks,
Nanny Jan
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Trees said : Dad was in 52nd Battalion Royal Warwick Regiment attached to the Nuffield Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich
I had a look under Warwickshire, and the numbered units were 4th, 25th Birmingham, 27th Selly Oak, 34th Birmingham, 41st,45th,48th mobile. There is also an intriguing report from "A Warwickshire factory unit" the number is withheld, but it was plainly stationed at a large munitions factory. The unit had 35 defence posts around the factory and 7 platoons. I'll have a better look tomorrow as its time for some shut-eye.
Fred
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Hi Fred
There were several munitions factories in the area mum worked in one that was housed at an ICI works but I wonder if you have infact found the Aircraft factory. I would think that it would have been on restricted information lists. They built Spitfires and Lancasters and repaired most military planes and had its own airstrip for test flights and naturally delivery flights so needed a lot of protection. I well remember the many barage balloons around the place. My parents said we lived in one of the best protected roads being between the factory and civil airport. It was however the subject of several raids . One shift was even machine gunned from the air as they left the factory and my dad's work shop took a direct hit on one bombing raid. All very chilling and too near to home if you know what I mean. I have my fingers crossed that you can turn something up. Many thanks
Trees
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Nanny jan wrote: Dad was in a unit attached to Ultra Electrics Factory and then one in South Harrow; both Middlesex. Long shot but you never know!
Hi! They give details of several Middlesex units, but they are deliberately vague with the exact location, which makes things a bit tricky. The numbers of the Battalions in the book are as follows:8th (Twickenham), 14th, 18th, "Y Zone" (centred on Enfield), 21st, 26th, 27th (factories in Enfield, Ponders End,Edmonton)29th (Muswell Hill, Hornsey)
30th (Enfield & Ponders End "Factory defence units"). I'm afraid I can't see a mention for Harrow but if any of these are of interest, I'll have a read.
Fred :)
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I just remembered, with regard to the Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich, there is a book called "Sigh for a Merlin" which was written by Alex Henshaw, the Chief Test Pilot at the works- it describes how they built and tested the Spitfires there.It was written in 1979, but my copy is 1996 by Airdata.
Fred
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Thanks for the info Fred; I'll check back with dad and see if any could have been his.
Nanny Jan
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Alex Henshaw was my hero he flew one spit down the high street He was on television last year on the virtual museum program when he had a book listing the workers at the factory but I haven't been able to see it Dad was first a charge hand tool maker then foreman but thats another story
Trees
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Just checked with my dad and none of the Middlesex ones are his; thanks for looking anyway.
Nanny Jan
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Grandad left me a book called "The Home Guard of Britain" by Charles Graves, 1943. Units were asked to send in brief histories and interesting incidents for the book but many never got round to it so coverage is rather hit and miss- for instance the 11th Bn Salop HG managed 3 closely typed pages while the 21st Middlesex Bn just said that "No unusual incidents have arisen." It might be useful though if the unit is known.
Fred
Hi Stockman Fred..
Was really interested to hear you have a copy of this book. I've been helping a Home Guard living history group based in Northampton with some archives and in the regimental museum they came up with lots of papers and a lot of them were to do with Charles Graves research - letters asking the various units to help him with "incidents of an amusing nature" etc....and as you say - quite a few of the original replies of "not much" happened. If you get the chance would you be able to look and see if anything ever ended up in the book sent in by the Northampton LDV or Home Guard?? In particular Pitsford and Chapel Brampton??
Anyone with an interest in this particular Home Guard Unit let me know and I'll see what else is in the papers - it did list a few names.
Or for general info take a look at their website
http://www.nlr-homeguard.org.uk/
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Hi, the book has a section from 9th Bn, (Walgrave & surrounding villages) and several pages on "Northamptonshire H.G." in general, from "Zone HQ, Northampton."
There is an account of a bomber which crashed near N'hampton on July 15th, 1941, where the crew were captured by different platoons around the town. There is quite a lot about Wellingborough too.
The Home Guard book is mentioned in the bibliography of the book "If Britain had fallen"- the author describes it as "confusing and inadequate but indespensible" which sums it up pretty well! :)
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Excellent!! My father-in-law and his father were both in the 9th Bn from 40-42. I can just imagine them (the Private Pike and Sgt Wilson combo of their day) running around town trying to capture Germans!
We'll have to track down a copy of the book.
Thanks
;D
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I just had a look in the German bomber books and there is no record of one coming down on that date, then on re-reading the article it turns out it was "one of ours"- the crewmen were all picked up immediately showing "what would have happened to enemy parachute troops" ::)
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Thanks..I did wonder....as Germans rampaging around town is not something we've ever heard about. :) :) ::) :) :)
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Fred,
Can you look for me?
Dad was in 52nd Battalion Royal Warwick Regiment attached to the Nufield Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich
Many thanks Trees
Forgot to mention this site too... lots of personal testimony (gathered from various other sites - mainly BBC) of LDV and Home Guard - mainly Staffordshire but does extend to include Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. There's an example of the King's Commendation Certificate and lots of other bits of background info on Home Guard generally.
http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk
This page mentions the Spitfire Factory in passing
http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscences3staffshg.htm
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Many thanks Millymcb, Both sites are great background reading and yes that was definitely the same certificate dad had just wish I'd got him to tell me more about his home Guard experiences. I have a great series of photographs taken of him on Royal engineers T.A. exercises and a staff group in front of the first Lancaster they built at Castle Brom.but nothing of his Home Guard exploits.
Trees
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Trees,
You mentioned that:
There were several munitions factories in the area mum worked in one that was housed at an ICI works.
It may not be of much interest to you but this was almost certainly the Kynoch Works of ICI, at Witton. The Home Guard website kindly mentioned mentioned elsewhere in this thread by millymcb, www.staffshomeguard.co.uk (http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk), now contains a potted history of this company including a chunk about the war years, as well as a picture of their large Home Guard unit. See:
http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/KOtherInformationKynoch.htm
Alex Henshaw was my hero
I once saw a Lancaster flash by the end of our garden at zero feet, just over an apple tree, heading directly for Castle Bromwich about six or seven miles away. I've often wondered whether it was Alex Henshaw buzzing his own home (which was also in Streetly at the time. I've never found out precisely WHERE - can anyone tell me?)
If anyone has any memories of West Midlands Home Guard units which they would like to share - to commemorate a dad, uncle or grandad, for example - I'd be happy to include them within the staffshomeguard website
Sorry to hijack your thread, Nanny Jan!
Chris
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Welcome to Rootschat,
The site you mentioned is very interesting and was posted in Feb by Millymcb.
I have some stories about the munitions factory and have sent you a PM
Trees
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Further to the original post on here....
The address required is
Historic Disclosures
Admin Assistant E2
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street,
Glasgow,
Scotland,
G2 8EX
0141 224 2822 / 2335
Apparently, if you know the address, the paperwork will show little else!! They are "disappointing" apparently according to Glasgow...
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Thanks for the info scrimnet; will get a letter sent.
Nanny Jan