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The Home Guard

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
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O.C.

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It was on May 14, 1940, that Mr. Anthony Eden broadcast an appeal for Local Defence Volunteers, and the effect was immediately apparent. Police stations all over Britain were besieged by men anxious to drill and be armed in the face of the invasion that seemed to be inevitable. By October 8th, 1940, Mr. Churchill could announce that 1,700,000 men had voluntarily sprung to arms. Brassards (Arm Bands) bearing the letters "L.D.V." were issued, a multitude of assorted weapons obsolete rifles, shotguns, a sprinkling of artillery, knives and home made "coshes" were handed to the men who were determined to use them to the end, if occasion arose. It was an eye-opener to Berlin, who thought England would collapse after Dunkirk.
The "Home Guard" Winston Churchill's new name for the citizen army was adopted and L.D.V. was dropped.Uniforms were supplied, and from an enthusiastic company of amateurs, the Home Guard became a well-clad, efficiently equipped, spare time home army, releasing thousands of serving men for service abroad
 
There has been the odd thread on this subject but this one never seems to have taken off. May I revive it?

I know there are a number of Home Guard memories lying dormant among forum members and from time to time hints of them have appeared. Di Poppit in particular has mentioned her dad’s service and there have been others. There are some wonderful stories here, very relevant to family and local history, and it would be a tragedy if they remained unrecorded. Stories, images, artefacts, all are equally valid. So please do post here anything you feel is relevant.

(I have been trying to do my bit here: https://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscencesWarkssstaffshg.htm. I’d like to beef up the Birmingham content and forum members might like to consider it as an additional way of commemorating a dad, uncle or grandad, and at the same time making a contribution to the city’s WW2 history - after posting here of course).

Here’s a couple of things to get the ball rolling.

There is a fascinating film clip here showing "D" Coy. of the 23rd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion parading in Trinity Road and Aston Park. Many individuals are clearly visible and recognisable.


An extract from a contemporary report by a factory unit:
During the winters of 1940 and 1941 the district suffered a series of very heavy aerial bombing attacks, in the course of which incendiary and high-explosive bombs fell within the factory precincts, necessitating prompt action on the part of the defence organisation, in which the Home Guard played no small part. Incendiaries then presented no serious difficulty, some thousands of which fell one night, and the Home Guard not having enough spades or other implements, just used their steel helmets for shovelling damp earth to smother bombs which had fallen in dangerous situations. These raids invariably took place at night, and whether it was the location of an exploded H.E. or the extinguishing of incendiary bombs and fires, the Home Guard members vied with each other in their eagerness to be of help, often having to be forcibly restrained from endangering themselves in their efforts to assist in the work.​
And were you taught by Mr.Thomas Chapman at Birchfield Road School, Perry Barr? That's another HG story.

Chris
 
That's a wonderful film Chris., thanks for posting the film and the information. I found it fascinating.
 
ChrisM What a cracking way to kick start this thread ....Nice post
 
Cant wait to show my dad the film he was there then..grandad was an arp warden in Aston.. hopefully he'll know someone..the tall one's all look like him anyway.:Aah:
 
I know Tammie my granddad was an ARP warden also in Aston but he may have been retired he was 62. He is listed as ARP warden on my Mom's wedding certificate in 1940.
 
Chris I have just re-read this thread and have seen your comment about Mr Thomas Chapman, I was at Canterbury Road juniors and my headmaster was Mr Chapman, any connection?
 
Di....

I don't know the area but I assume that Canterbury Road and Birchfield Road schools are/were different establishments.

The information I have on Mr. Chapman places him in the second of these. I have put what I have on him here.

Does it look like the same gentleman?

Chris
 
ARP Warden Photo

This photo may be of interest.

My Grandad Sydney EDGLEY was an ARP Warden in Handsworth. Unfortunately I've no idea which 'company' he belonged to. He is standing furthest left at the back (2nd row).
It would be nice if the others could be identified.
 
Thanks very much for that, Keewee - an excellent photograph and of great interest.

The picture shows what is definitely a Home Guard group rather than an ARP one and comprises a typical section or platoon - a couple of officers, several NCOs and a number of privates. A number wear their Great War service ribbons.

This isn't to say of course that your grandfather wasn't an ARP warden as well as a Home Guard. Some men were, at the same time. Goodness knows how they fitted it all in. Others transferred from one service to the other. They were not quite the sworn enemies of each other which the TV programme "Dad's Army" suggested!

As you say, it would be fascinating to be able to identify the others. Do you have any other information - location, date?

Chris
 
Thanks for that Chris. I will pick my Mom's brains again. It was her Dad in the photo.

I do have a letter from my late Nan telling me that her husband (Sydney EDGLEY) used to go 'Fire Watching' 'til midnight & she was often left all alone at home. She also said she sometimes used to go down to the pub and wait for them (the fire watchers) to come in for a drink.

I think an assumotion was probably made that he was in the ARP - I've only just aquired the photo, which I'd never seen before so I'm keen to learn all I can about it.
 
Keewee.....

As you probably know, fire-watching was something that many people were involved in, quite separate from any affiliation with the ARP or the Home Guard. It was all to do with attack by incendiaries, small bombs which would fall on to and through roofs and cause havoc if not quickly detected. Factories and other large buildings would all have their fire-watching rota. The watchers would be volunteers but I think that companies had a legal obligation to protect their premises in this way, over and above their own self-interest.

If you want an idea of the sort of thing that your grandfather had to do there are hundreds of reminiscences on this subject in the wonderful BBC WW2 People's War Archive. A sort on "firewatching" gives you this list to scan through. There are even a couple which mention fire-watching specifically in Handsworth.

I'm sure several forum members are looking forward to further memories about your grandfather and his activities.

Chris
 
Chris, the photo of Mr Chapman as a young soldier is almost certainly my old headmaster. I see he has four wound stripes on his sleeve, it's too awful to imagine.
 
Di.Poppitt said:
the photo of Mr Chapman as a young soldier is almost certainly my old headmaster.
Click to expand...

Di...

I'm delighted that you have recognised Thomas Chapman. That has always been the aim of the staffshomeguard site - to increase the chances of a few of those men (and women) being remembered and to commemorate their service.

I am wondering if my reference to Birchfield Road school is wrong and I may have to amend it. They are presumably two different schools? Any comment please?

Chris
 
Thank you so much Chris for all that information. I wongly assumed that Fire Watching was part of the job of being a Home Guard!

I spoke with Mom again and she confirmed that my Grandad used to do his Fire Watching "on top of the Beehive". Which I am led to believe was in the centre of Birmingham.

As to the date of the photo I am unsure. It could be anywhere between 1940-1943 at a guess! I will be sure to look further into my Gandad's service as a Home Guard to find out.
 
Yes Chris Birchfield Road was the boys school, and I am pretty sure it was demolished, Canterbury Road which is where Mr Chapman was head of the junior school in the 40's/50's still stands.

I have looked at what you call the second photo sent by his daughter on your Home Guard site and I recognise him again, he is sitting in front of the fourth man from the left on the back row.

There is a lovley photo of him on friends reunited, I'll try to get a copy of it.
 
Thanks, Di, I have been hoping for a long time to see a picture of an older Thomas Chapman. Would you have any objection if I snaffle it and include it on my website page which describes him? Anything else on him you have would be most welcome too. And can you give me a rough date of the picture please?

Could you also please give me your best guess as to this discrepancy between the two schools. Am I wrong in saying that he was head of Birchfield Road School Juniors? Could he have been at both? I'd like to be accurate about this.

(To other forum members who think we are going off-thread - this IS still about the Home Guard, just about!)

Chris
 
Birchfield Road School and Canterbury Road School were completely separate, as far as I know. Birchfield Road School was demolished, but Canterbury Road School still stands and is a listed building. I didn't go to the Junior School at Canterbury Road (just the Seniors) but I doubt Mr. Chapman could have been head of both schools, as I said, they were completely separate schools - though not far apart geographically.
Di will be able to tell you for sure - she's MUCH older than me :D :D :D !
 
Charlie has it in one Chris - apart from her age of course;) Mr Chapman was head of Canterbury Road Junior School.

I copied the photo from Friends reunited, but as they let you copy the photo's I'm sure you can use it. It is exactly as I remember him in the 1940's, I can't add more about him unfortunately apart from what a lovely man he was, the ideal head of a junior school.
 
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