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The Home Guard

GEFF

Geff
Could I be the last member of the Home Guard in Birmingham, or one of the last. I was in B. Company, Warwickshire
Home Guard stationed at Marchment Road. Girls School. Bordesley Green. Birmingham. 9. I am in my 95 year so there cannot be many of us left. Geoff.
 
oh well done geff...it would be great to find out the answer to your question but i am afraid i would not know where to begin with this one...take care of yourself

lyn
 
Hello Geoff, My Dad was in the Home Guard at the Corporation Salvage Department in Rotten Park Road if memory serves me right. He used to teach First Aid and I still have his First Aid Manual !! I used to polish the buttons on his greatcoat for him, but I was just a kid then....My Dad would have been 94 had he lived but he passed away in his 70's.
Anthea.
 
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You are certainly a member of an exclusive, and highly revered, club, Geff. Any of your contemporaries have got to be at least 93 or 94. I only know of one other and he was in the Kidderminster Battalion. He is due to hit the century next month. I was hoping to meet him in March but the lockdown has put paid to that for the time being.

The main Home Guard thread in this Forum to which you first contributed in 2010 is still going strong. It's here: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/home-guard.23811/ In one of your posts you showed us a photograph of your unit. Unfortunately that image was lost when the Forum was hacked some years ago. But you kindly gave me a copy and also some memories which have been in my website for the last ten years for all the world to see.

I've reminded myself that you were part of the 39th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion and that one of your exploits was a successful attack on Elmdon airfield! I have quite a lot of information about your Battalion online. You will have seen some of it - in fact you wrote part of it!! But here is a complete list, including your own page, in case there are any you haven't caught up with. Just click on the links to look at each of the pages.
The 39th Battalion and Pte. William Henry Bryan
The 39th Battalion and Pte. Geoffrey Bennett
(Thanks, Geff!)
The 39th Battalion and Eric Pain
The 39th Battalion and Sgt. Jim Baker
The 39th Battalion and the Copsey Brothers
Warwickshire - Birmingham, Stechford Summary page
The 39th Battalion's 1941 Concert


There may be people you knew. Do you recognise anyone? And did you attend the theatre performance at the Alex on the day when Pearl Harbour was attacked? Do please let us know.

Thanks and good wishes.

Chris
 
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