WW2 Home Guard

[nanny jan]

Thanks for the info Fred; I'll check back with dad and see if any could have been his.


Nanny Jan

[Trees]

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

[nanny jan]

Just checked with my dad and none of the Middlesex ones are his; thanks for looking anyway.


Nanny Jan

[millymcb]

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/

[stockman fred]

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!

[millymcb]

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

 

[stockman fred]

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" 

[millymcb]

Thanks..I did wonder....as Germans rampaging around town is not something we've ever heard about.   

[millymcb]

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