Thanks for that, Stitcher. Looks a fairly typical parade in the earliest days. I would argue about the comment that by 1942 the Home Guard was starting to be taken more seriously, though. It had become an effective fighting force far earlier than that. And certainly those involved in it regarded the whole activity with deadly seriousness right from the outset - as well they might as the lives of them and their families depended on it.
Here's a description of the first parade of a local unit - comprising blokes from 15 to 60 - and the days following:
Chris
Here's a description of the first parade of a local unit - comprising blokes from 15 to 60 - and the days following:
.......And now on a day of early June 1940, we parade (or perhaps "gather" would be a more suitable term) at Little Aston Stables and find our names amongst a list of men who are destined to form a platoon of the L.D.V.
A roll call, more filling up of forms. The Platoon Commander is chosen after a query by the Company Commander : "Any man here with army experience and who has a car?" A few minutes later, an infantry private of the last war takes his first parade. N.C.Os. are created by similar methods. We can take no risks at this stage and all section leaders must have previous Army training.
The Platoon falls in two deep - drill in threes is as yet an unravelled mystery. A very willing bunch of all ages from sixty to fifteen, from all walks of life, and in all sorts of civilian clothes - office and works attire, flannel bags, and gardening dress. One man is carrying his umbrella. A mere handful with previous military experience. A few more particulars required, a division of the Platoon into sections, arrangements for guard duties are made, a spin of a coin for our platoon number, and the Platoon, eventually to be known as No. 5 "B" Company, 32nd (Aldridge) Battalion, South Staffordshire Home Guard, is formed.
Parades start in real earnest. All are keen and are most willing to learn. We all, including the instructors, make many mistakes. We work on musketry, loading and sighting, field work and the parade ground, the duties of sentries, and then more musketry. This active work is a splendid antidote to the sickening thoughts of the time, of Germany and Italy and perhaps Japan against Britain now standing alone. As the old lady said at the height of the London Blitz : "There's one good thing about all this bombing, it takes your mind off the war."
We sadly lack equipment. Six Pl4 rifles for a company 140 strong, and those have to be fetched from and returned, after the parade, to the Aldridge Police Station, three miles away, where they are locked in a police cell for safe keeping. We acquire .303 dummies and clips by private means, we practice loading in all positions and checking aim against an aiming disc, meanwhile bitten to hell by the gnats. We relearn parade-ground stuff, sloping and ordering arms by numbers, an N.C.O. correcting. The first time we do this, after correcting one particularly bad slope in every way possible, the "victim" remarks with considerable heat : "Do you want this *** rifle, sir?" and walks off the parade ground. We never see him again.
We parade with drill in threes, field work, patrols, cover and camouflage, the latter prompted by the thought that a man may live a little longer unseen. We get to know our territory and our O.P., which is now manned at dawn and dusk with a section on duty each night. We construct a strong point amid many divergent views on the subject of siting. We acquire maps and set up a plate with cardinal points of the compass on our O.P. on the Hall roof, but later, observing that the sun is setting in the north, we realise that either a miracle has happened or our orientation is at fault. We make the most of every available minute and arrange parades every night, but as the same men turn up every time we drop to three parades per week and get satisfactory attendances.
We issue a training programme, on 14th June, 1940......
A roll call, more filling up of forms. The Platoon Commander is chosen after a query by the Company Commander : "Any man here with army experience and who has a car?" A few minutes later, an infantry private of the last war takes his first parade. N.C.Os. are created by similar methods. We can take no risks at this stage and all section leaders must have previous Army training.
The Platoon falls in two deep - drill in threes is as yet an unravelled mystery. A very willing bunch of all ages from sixty to fifteen, from all walks of life, and in all sorts of civilian clothes - office and works attire, flannel bags, and gardening dress. One man is carrying his umbrella. A mere handful with previous military experience. A few more particulars required, a division of the Platoon into sections, arrangements for guard duties are made, a spin of a coin for our platoon number, and the Platoon, eventually to be known as No. 5 "B" Company, 32nd (Aldridge) Battalion, South Staffordshire Home Guard, is formed.
Parades start in real earnest. All are keen and are most willing to learn. We all, including the instructors, make many mistakes. We work on musketry, loading and sighting, field work and the parade ground, the duties of sentries, and then more musketry. This active work is a splendid antidote to the sickening thoughts of the time, of Germany and Italy and perhaps Japan against Britain now standing alone. As the old lady said at the height of the London Blitz : "There's one good thing about all this bombing, it takes your mind off the war."
We sadly lack equipment. Six Pl4 rifles for a company 140 strong, and those have to be fetched from and returned, after the parade, to the Aldridge Police Station, three miles away, where they are locked in a police cell for safe keeping. We acquire .303 dummies and clips by private means, we practice loading in all positions and checking aim against an aiming disc, meanwhile bitten to hell by the gnats. We relearn parade-ground stuff, sloping and ordering arms by numbers, an N.C.O. correcting. The first time we do this, after correcting one particularly bad slope in every way possible, the "victim" remarks with considerable heat : "Do you want this *** rifle, sir?" and walks off the parade ground. We never see him again.
We parade with drill in threes, field work, patrols, cover and camouflage, the latter prompted by the thought that a man may live a little longer unseen. We get to know our territory and our O.P., which is now manned at dawn and dusk with a section on duty each night. We construct a strong point amid many divergent views on the subject of siting. We acquire maps and set up a plate with cardinal points of the compass on our O.P. on the Hall roof, but later, observing that the sun is setting in the north, we realise that either a miracle has happened or our orientation is at fault. We make the most of every available minute and arrange parades every night, but as the same men turn up every time we drop to three parades per week and get satisfactory attendances.
We issue a training programme, on 14th June, 1940......
Chris
