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Warwickshire Home Guard

Eric,

Your grandfather's Home Guard unit would have depended on where he lived at the time, or possibly where he worked (if it were a largish factory). His regiment in the Great War wouldn't have had any bearing on where he landed up in the HG.

If you know where he lived/worked, I might be able to give you a indication of what his unit was.

Chris
 
He lived in Farley Road, Perry Common through the war and worked at Wolseley Sheep Shearing in Electric Avenue, Witton (Opposite the GEC)
 
Eric,
Your grandfather most probably served in the Battalion responsible for the area where he lived; but, as we have discussed before, it could conceivably have been in his works unit although I am not 100 percent sure that that Company had one. Either way, he would definitely have been in one of the Birmingham Home Guard battalions all of which were affiliated to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Assuming it was the unit local to his home, the likelihood is the 23rd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion, although at least one other Battalion had responsibilities in the area as well. It all depends on precisely where the boundaries were. I have quite a bit of information on both of these and especially on the 23rd with images of many of the members. Have a trawl through - you never know!

This is the best link to start with:
https://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscencesWarkssstaffshg.htm#erdi
There is also a search function on the Index/Site Map page.

If your grandfather's company DID have its own unit it would probably have been part of the 46th Warwicks.

Chris
 
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Thanks Chris, I'll spend a bit of time looking through your suggestions..............when I can find time, there's never enough when you're retired :)
 
I wonder if in your Home Guard studies you might come across a Charles Coughlin, he was my maternal grandfather, I know he was in the HG but not where or which unit, he served with the South Staffs in WW1, would he have done the same in the HG or could he have just as easily been in the Warwicks?
Hi Eric, I appreciate that this is 5 1/2 years late but have you seen this?


One of the members of "C" Company is 2nd/Lt. G C Coughlin. Could he have been your Grandfather? My Grandfather, Lt. A J Walker MM, is also listed under BHQ Specialist officers.

I have the original, PM me if you would like a copy.
 
I noticed that the link I provided in the above post does not have the padlock symbol so I guess it is not an HTTPS site. Some browsers may not allow viewing, so here are the pictures:
 

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  • Home Guard-2.jpg
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  • 46-Battalion-Warks-Home-Guard.pdf
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The site is perfectly safe and should normally allow satisfactory viewing. (It's mine!)

It seems as those names have been lurking in the staffshomeguard website for a long time. Names will normally be found by using the site Search function there; but not unfortunately when they are tucked away in a document image, as these are.

"C" Company might well have been a factory unit manned entirely by employees (as was "B" - ICI Metals Division) but I don't know which one.

Well spotted, Biscayne!

Chris
 
Thanks Chris. I'll type out the list of names tomorrow and forward it to you. Might be of help to others researching ancestors.

Steve
 
Thanks, Biscayne. I have reminded myself that there is, also there, further information and an image of Lt. Walker. I can't check at the moment where that information originally came from. It was certainly provided to me by a grandson.

Chris
 
Hi Chris, I have just added a transcription of the list of names to my original post. It is in PDF format, as .doc format is not allowed but at least it is searchable.
It was me who provided you with the original(s), If you would like the transcription in another format I can send it via your website.

Steve
 
Very sorry not to have remembered, Biscayne, and haven't had the opportunity of checking emails from that time. So, it looks as though all this might be new to Eric.

What you have provided looks as though it will be very useful. I'll have a good look into it just as soon as I can.

Chris
 
The 2nd Lt G C Coughlin wouldn't be my granddad he was simply Charles and I'm pretty sure he was 'other ranks' not an officer but thanks for looking.
 
Disappointing!

It's worth noting that, as the war progressed, suitable O/Rs and NCOs WERE commissioned. Suspect G C Coughlin was one of these - he doesn't appear in the first Officers List of February 1941.

Whereas A.J. Walker, M.M. does. But not in the 46th Warwickshire. He was, in 1941, in the 24th Warwickshire (Birmingham). I haven't much on this unit but there are a few fragments here, mainly from later on: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscences177A24thWarks.htm

Chris
 
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