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Warwickshire Home Guard

wotsinaname

wotsinaname

Brummie Born and Bred
Self explanatory really.This is a photo of "E" company 24th battalion Warwickshire Home Guard Number 4 platoon. My Uncle Jimmy Brown is the Sergeant 2nd right from the sign. I have no Idea of the date of this picture.
 
A great picture, wotsinaname, and thanks for posting it. It's a real shame when gems like this get hidden away or, worse still, lost.

There are experts around who will probably be able to look at the details of the uniform and give you an idea of the date. (Probably not on this forum though. I can give you a link if you ever want to pursue this).

Chris
 
Thanks for your kind words. you are correct about pictures being lost. this one and other family photo's were almost thrown away when my aunt died.
I have visited your web site and what a fascinating place it is. I shall certainly spend some time exploring it.

have fun and be happy:)
 
Welcome Wots long time no post, but worth the wait great photo:)
 
The 24th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion's area of responsibility was, I believe, Moseley. Each Company (obviously five at least) would have had a defined geographical area to look after and that would in turn have been split down further to represent the patch of particular platoons, one of which this picture shows. Note the older men, several wearing Great War ribbons: survivors of the Western Front and elsewhere, taking up arms again little more than 20 years after coming home from the war to end all wars.

The 24th, just one of some 47 in the county and 26 in Birmingham itself, appears to have been a bigger Battalion than most and included more than 70 officers in 1941. This would mean that the unit as a whole would have had a membership of well over 1000 blokes (and, later on, a number of women). The population would have changed a bit as the years went by, with the younger fellows being called up and a few dropping out due to age or ill-health. But many would have served for the entire period, from the middle of 1940 until stand-down in December 1944, a record of remarkable, devoted and entirely voluntary service.

Chris
 
My grandfather was a Sergant in the Home Guard based at Austin Longbridge.
Can anyone help me find more info about him as I have drawn a blank.
Thanks
Brettw
 
Great picture, Brettw!

There's a bit of guidance on searching for individual Home Guards here, if you haven't already seen it.

I'd be happy to provide a mention of your grandfather, and your quest for further information, on the same website, if you would like that. IM me if you want to consider this.

Chris
 
My father was in the Home Guard and he was stationed at Hams Hall Power Station (he also worked there) Are there any photographs of Warwickshire Home Guarde
 
I have collected a few Warwickshire Home Guard images, Fentham, and this website summary page will lead you to them. Nothing specifically on Ham's Hall, I'm afraid.

(All images were lost from the Forum after a hacking attack a few weeks ago. wotsinaname's excellent image was one of them. If he/she still follows the Forum it would be great if it could be replaced with the help of the Tutorial at the top of the page).

Chris
 
img050~0.jpg

I don'tknow if this a scene from Birmingham but it does illustrate what was going on.
 
img051.jpg

Home Guards marching past Birmingham Council House. The rifles were for show only, ammunition was rarely issued for fear of 'friendly fire' casualties.
 
My maternal Grandfather & Great-Uncle were in the HG in the Sutton North area. I have a couple of posed Photos if they are any use. Most Home Defence around North Warwks was done by young farm workers.
 
Hello Rocker,
Your offer is most welcome. I would love to see the photos, if you want my home address I will let you have it or perhaps you can put them on the BHF. The sad thing is I also have a photo, which I cannot find.
It is of the Home Guard all sitting at long tables somewhere and my Dad is on it. It must be safe somewhere, there are many home guard on this photo to someone else somewhere must have a copy.
I wondered if it was in any of the papers. Dad worked at Hams Hall and was also based there for Home Guard duties. In the Birmingham Library there is a Hams Hall diary of the events of the Home Guard
day by day. It makes good reading. We hope to go back there when the Library is up and running and photo the sheets.
Best wishes
 
I have in my possession a document related to the 42nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion Home Guard. It is a Souvenir 1940-1944 of a Dinner at the Imperial Hotel, 3rd October 1944. It includes details of menu, toasts, entertainment etc. and a photo of the Officers taken at HQ on 17th September 1944. There are 42 autographs at the back. The front is inscribed Lt. E.J Moon. M.C. I will scan it asap and would be willing to pass it on to any interested party.
 
Hello
The description you have sounds as though the photo I have, but cannot find, may have been taken at the Imperial Hotel. I don't suppose there is a photo of the event. My Dad was obviously not an officer, but there was a lot of people on the photo.
Best wishes
Jean
 
Welcome to the Forum, BassOne, and yes, please, let's see the souvenir programme on this thread!

It would be interesting to know which area of the city the 42nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion had the responsibility of defending.

It's a little strange - Lt. Moon is not listed as an officer in the 1941 Officer's List. Yet he was a decorated officer, most probably from the Great War, and such men were always the first to be appointed to a position of authority in the earliest days of the Home Guard. For one reason or another he must have been a later joiner.

Chris
 
My Dad worked at Belliss & Morcom with submarine engines. I don't know much more except it was called a "reserved occupation" and therefore he served in the Homeguard.

He patrolled the dam at Edgbaston Reservoir as part of the duties. Mum did Firewatch, but I gather most people took a turn................I wish we had talked about this while there was still chance........

rosie.
 
looking for anyonee who was in home guard connected to morriss cars in drews lane lokking for erick tinson whom i believe was a sergeant would be grateful for any info ty
 
Hi all, hope i have posted this on the right thread it,s my grandad (right of shield).I don't know a lot more about this photo was in an old box in the loft. cheers, Home Guard 1941 (Birmingham gas department) 001.jpgGazz
 
Hi I'll try to post them, but I'm not much use with a Computer. I'll wait til my lad is over. I hope you can bear with me.
 
https://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscencesx100RobinHood.htm
BassOne said:
I have in my possession a document related to the 42nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion Home Guard. It is a Souvenir 1940-1944 of a Dinner at the Imperial Hotel, 3rd October 1944. It includes details of menu, toasts, entertainment etc. and a photo of the Officers taken at HQ on 17th September 1944. There are 42 autographs at the back. The front is inscribed Lt. E.J Moon. M.C. I will scan it asap and would be willing to pass it on to any interested party.
Click to expand...

The gentleman to whom BassOne is referring is Lt. E.J. Moon M.C., who served at, and survived Gallipoli as an engineering officer where he almost certainly gained his M.C. He later joined the 42nd Warwickshire Battn and served from some time in 1941 until the end. He left behind the fascinating commemorative programme of the dinner which includes amongst other things a wonderfully clear, fully captioned photo of most of the officers, some 40 or 50 of them, all residents of, or employees of factories located in, the area which the Battalion defended: Robin Hood, Acocks Green and Sparkhill. I wonder if any member can identify a father, uncle or grandfather amongst them.

BassOne has very generously allowed me to use this information in a website page where the images are magnified and the information can be more easily read. Lt. Moon's story is here. Please look at it to see if you recognise any face or name and post any comments back here.

Chris
 

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hi all
could anyone help me im looking for any info regarding my grandad george tibbets who was with the 47th warwickshire home guard he sadly passed away 26th december 1941 in birmingham
kind regards
 
Hi kc, A photograph of your grandfathers grave has been posted on the Facebook group, Wartime Birmingham & The Blitz and the person is looking for any more details to include in her database of Home Guard casualities. If you are prepared to share any information you might have with her and are not a Facebook user, then I could pass on any information you may have to her.

Colin
 
hi colin
may I ask you this person may be regarding my grand dad please and where did she find a picture of is grave
kind regards kc
 
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