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MERIONETHSHIRE and MONTGOMERYSHIRE

The Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire Home Guard comprised the following Battalions:
 - 1st Merioneth Battalion - Blaenau Festiniog
 - 2nd Merioneth Battalion - Dolgellau
 - 3rd Merioneth Battalion - Machynlleth
 - 4th Merioneth Battalion - Corwen
 - 5th Montgomery Battalion - Llanfyllin
 - 6th Montgomery Battalion - Welshpool
 - 7th Montgomery Battalion - Newtown
(Added Feb 2022)

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MIDDLESEX, ASHFORD
See Middlesex, Stanwell below.

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MIDDLESEX, BRENTFORD and EALING
Mr. Alan Cocks remembers his signalling service. (You will leave this site).

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MIDDLESEX, EDGWARE or BURNT OAK
An interesting photograph, fully captioned, of No. 5 (Sub-Artillery) Platton, No. 9 Company, 23rd Middlesex Battalion.

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MIDDLESEX, ENFIELD
A lively and entertaining account by the late Mr. Edwin Knighton of his experiences of the Home Guard (and of the Blitz in E14).
(You will leave this site).

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MIDDLESEX, HAMPSTEAD HEATH
A memory of "Z" AA battery firing R8 rockets. (You will leave this site).

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MIDDLESEX, MILL HILL
Stephen Pearce has kindly supplied the following pictures. The first shows HQ Coy. 24th Middlesex (Mill Hill) Battalion, Home Guard. Stephen's grandfather, Alfred George Sharr, is the sixth man from the left, rear row and behind the man with the sash, in this November 1944 image.

The second image of men of the same Battalion, dating from April 1943, shows what is described as the REME Home Guard and also includes Alfred Sharr.  The location was probably the Mill Hill East Barracks.

Grateful acknowledgement is made to Stephen Pearce, Alfred's grandson, for making these images available via D.M. and permitting their publication.

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MIDDLESEX, OSTERLEY PARK
Stanley C. Jenkins writes about the Home Guard Training School set up in 1940 at Osterley Park:

The "Osterley Reds" by Stanley C.Jenkins

There has always been a strongly-pacifist element within the Liberal and
Labour parties - legacy, perhaps, of the Non-conformist tradition which had
inspired some of the earliest British radicals and social reformers. On the
other hand, many pre-war British socialists had loathed the Fascist regimes
in Italy, Spain and Germany with such intensity that they volunteered to
fight with the Republican forces.

Churchill's "Finest Hour" broadcast on 18th June 1940 had paid due tribute
to the Spanish Republicans who had resisted Fascism during the Spanish Civil
War, while at the same time many left-wingers became highly-enthusiastic
supporters of the Home Guard - which they regarded as a kind of "citizen
army" along the lines of the Spanish Republican militias that had defended
Madrid. In this context, Tom Wintringham (1898-1949) and other left-wing
veterans of the Spanish Civil War set up a "Home Guard Training School" at
Osterley Park to train the volunteers in the techniques of guerrilla
warfare - which was one of the tasks of the Home Guard, as well as the
rounding up of enemy parachutists and "fifth columnists".

Many establishment figures were highly-suspicious of Wintringham and his
"Osterley Reds", who were seen as "dangerous" socialists who would subvert
the Home Guard but, despite a certain amount of official opposition, the
Home Guard Training School trained over 5,000 Home Guardsmen during its
first six months of operation.

© Stanley C. Jenkins 2009

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MIDDLESEX, POTTERS BAR
A daughter remembers the Home Guard service of her father, Mr. Martin Apley:

"....It was wartime when I was born in October 1942, so I was only 3 years old when the war ended, yet I still distinctly recall the pride and the pleasure I felt whenever my father returned home from his exercises with the Home Guard in his neatly pressed khaki uniform, shoes and belt, buttons and buckles all highly polished (sometimes to my delight I had been allowed to help him with the polishing beforehand). I would stand smartly to attention, saluting correctly, the way he had taught me, the long way up and the short way down, exclaiming loudly as I did so, "Salute Captain Daddy"......."

© marionclarion 2004           This memoir includes a transcription of a letter of commendation from the C.O. of the 56th Essex Battalion and other interesting reminiscences. To read the whole of it in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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MIDDLESEX, SOUTHALL
View an excellent group image of No. 3 Platoon, "A" Company, 10th Middlesex Battalion, which includes father and son, Jack Durham and Ted Durham.

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MIDDLESEX, STANWELL
Stanley Edgar Jenkins of Viola Avenue was a private in the Upper Thames Patrol. Read his story here in "Glimpses of the Middlesex Home Guard".      

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MIDDLESEX, WEMBLEY
A tribute to Mr. William Stallwood's service and a memory of the field kitchen in his front drive. (You will leave this site).

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Corporal Robertson,       City of Edinburgh Home Guard          by Eric Kennington, 1943

MIDLOTHIANSHIRE, EDINBURGH
Memories of the 3rd Battalion Edinburgh Home Guard, Signals Company. (You will leave this site).

Mr. Patrick Huck, a medical student, recalls his Home Guard training. (You will leave this site).

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MONMOUTHSHIRE, CHEPSTOW

The Home Guard story of Mr. Sam Judd, a shipyard worker, described by his daughter. (You will leave this site).

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Mr Keith Underwood has interesting memories of the Chepstow Home Guard. (You will leave this site).

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Within an interesting article about Chepstow in wartime, Mr. Donald Barton recalls witnessing a Home Guard exercise:        

"......I mentioned that Anton Edwards (French Master at Larkfield) was an Officer in the Home Guard - Captain I think. At the time we lived in a flat in High Street and I remember watching the Home Guard taking part in an exercise with the army. There was a great deal of activity in Beaufort Square, with blank rounds and thunder flashes going off. I dashed out to get a closer look, just as as couple of tear gas grenades went off and was reduced to tears as it drifted across the square. I saw Anton engaged in a robust hand to hand struggle with a member of the opposing faction, though only after he had been ‘shot’ several times. I was very impressed!......."

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© Donald Barton 2005       To read the rest of this memoir in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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MONTGOMERYSHIRE
Please see Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire above.

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(NEWFOUNDLAND - see Invernessshire)
The interesting story of the Newfoundland lumberjacks who had their own Home Guard units in the forests of Scotland.

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NORFOLK
Further reading:
Standing Up to Hitler: Story of Norfolk's Home Guard and Secret Army, 1940-44 - Adrian Hoare
Publisher: Countryside Books, UK, 2002
ISBN 1853067229
Format paperback - 256 Pages, 80 Illustrations

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NORFOLK, ACLE
This "Letter to the Editor" appeared in the press in August 2005:

In our wartime Norfolk village my father's Home Guard platoon always held their Sunday parade ten minutes before opening time at the Queen's Head. It was usually watched by a group of sniggering schoolboys, including me.

One day the smile was wiped off our faces when they risked their lives clearing the fields around Acle of butterfly bombs. Having always told everyone that my father was a Guardsman I now salute them, and am glad they have their own memorial.

M.J., Middlesex.......16th August 2005          (with acknowledgement to the author)

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NORFOLK, HOVETON
A brief memory of the Home Guard service in the area. (You will leave this site).

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NORFOLK, ITTERINGHAM
An image of the local HG unit can be seen here.  (You will leave this site).

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NORFOLK, NEWTON FLOTMAN, BANHAM, DUNSTON and STOKE HOLY CROSS.
Mr. Gerald Smith recalls his service as a fifteen-year-old. (You will leave this site).

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NORFOLK, NORWICH
A group image of 10/3 6th Norfolk Battalion
(with grateful acknowledgement to Jeff Kamen)

Added Sept 2021

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NORFOLK, SANDRINGHAM and DERSINGHAM
In Britain's Secret Army the service of Mr. Charles French is remembered. (You will leave this site).

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NORFOLK, SHERINGHAM and Nearby Villages
A memoir by the late Mr. Ben Stimpson who commanded various units in this area of North Norfolk.  (You will leave this site).

Mr. Colin Wright shares his childhood memories of his father's Home Guard service and its area of activity. (You will leave this site).

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NORFOLK, TASBURGH
Spies (an extract from "Hard Times and Humour: Tasburgh 1939-1970 by William Moore) tells of how the local Home Guard were instrumental in the capture of a spy who was later convicted. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Research into the various Battalions within the county is being undertaken by this group. Information is eagerly sought. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ALTHORP and CHAPEL BRAMPTON
Mr. Bill Bandy, together with his father George, was a member of the Church and Chapel Brampton Home Guard before his call-up into the Northamptonshire Regiment. Mr. Bandy wrote a brief memoir of his Home Guard service for the BBC People's War Archive. Click the title above to read it and to see images of these two Home Guards and of their families.

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, BRIXWORTH
Please see PITSFORD below.

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, NORTHAMPTON and LAMPORT RAILWAY
Interesting details of this organisation's Wartime Weekend events, past and future and all with a significant Home Guard involvement, can be seen here. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, PITSFORD
The Pitsford Home Guard Living History Unit is a tribute to 9th (Brixworth) and 12th (Northampton) Battalions of Northamptonshire Home Guard. Its website can be accessed here. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ROTHERSTHORPE
Farmer Mr. Sid North recalls his local unit. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHERN IRELAND
A new book has been recently published (March 2008). It is by Davy Orr and is entitled "Duty Without Glory - The Story of Ulster's Home Guard in the Second World War and the Cold War"(ISBN: 978-0-9538367-2-7 and available from all good bookshops). A background to the book and information about it are as follows:

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There is an interesting website containing a large amount of information about wartime Northern Ireland, including mention of the Home Guard. It is "The Second World War in Northern Ireland". Click on the title to view it. (You will leave this site). Recent addition!

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NORTHERN IRELAND, BALLYMENA
Mr. John Luke recalls joining the Ulster Home Guard and many of its activities. Mr. Luke has also written an interesting account of Home Guard Weaponry. And finally he
remembers the stand-down parade of the County Antrim battalion. (In each case as you access these interesting articles, you will leave this site).

Mr Billy McKnight's memories. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHERN IRELAND, BELFAST
Home Guard experiences in Belfast are recounted in On Guard at Sydney Street West. (You will leave this site).

Mr. James Millar who worked at the John Kelly Coal Yards in the docks is remembered. (You will leave this site).

A interesting memoir telling of the Great Northern Railway Home Guard unit can be read here. (You will leave this site).

On Guard at Sydney Street West is Mr. John Martin's story. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHERN IRELAND, DUNGIVEN
Mr. William MacFarlane gives an interesting description of life in 'F' Company of the 1st Londonderry Battalion . (You will leave this site).

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NORTHERN IRELAND, DUNMURRY
The memories of Mr. Robin Charley:

"....Robin Charley joined the local Home Guard when it was formed by his father. Local citizens still had a few Austrian rifles illegally imported by Major Fred Crawford for the UVF in 1913. These rifles were duely dug up from under the floorboards, and checked to see they were in good condition. The Home Guard took their rifles to the walled garden, had some target practice to get used to the rifles, and then carried them while on patrol. Robin Charley was on duty one night, manning the telephone, when a message came throughgiving the codeword, "Cromwell". this meant "Invasion imminent" ... but luckily, the invasion never took place......"

© Robin Charley 2005       To read this memoir in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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NORTHERN IRELAND, LISBURN
In Almost a Soldier Mr. Thomas Christie remembers his Home Guard service. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, BLYTH and WHITLEY BAY

Images of the Despatch Rider (DR) unit in Signals Platoon, HQ Coy., 6th Northumberland (Blyth) Battalion, Home Guard can be seen on this page of this website.

Mr. Fred Leathard remembers Home Guard service as a fifteen-year-old in an AA 3.7" gun battery. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, CULLERCOATES and SEATON SLUICE
A memory of Home Guard service by Mr. John Thompson. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, HEATON and JESMOND
An excellent new website here commemorates members of "C" Company, 12th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who defended this area. It contains a wealth of information about this Company, including a full list of members, several group and individual images and details about particular personnel. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE
The above website (under Heaton and Jesmond) also includes a useful list of all the city's battalions and the officers who served within them, on this page. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, PRESTWICK
Click here to see a captioned image of the Prestwick Colliery Home Guard unit and read how its weaponry was transported. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, TEAM VALLEY and WESTERHOPE
Mr. Tom Peacock's memories of the local Home Guard. (You will leave this site).

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NORTHUMBERLAND, WALLSEND-ON-TYNE
A memoir by Major Harry Barrass Taylor. (You will leave this site).

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NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, WALKERINGHAM
An image of the local unit can be seen here. (You will leave this site).  

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OXFORDSHIRE
A useful overview of the Oxfordshire Home Guard units is provided on this linked page of the website.

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OXFORDSHIRE, BICESTER

The Bicester Home Guard Living History Group was formed in January 2013 and is dedicated to the memory of those who were prepared to give their lives when the invasion of the United Kingdon in WW2 was a very real threat. The group aims to preserve the history of the Bicester Home Guard (seen below) and the Home Front in general.

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Please go to the Reenactment Group page for further information.

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OXFORDSHIRE, BULLINGDON
Go to this page to see a high defintion image of a unit of the 4th Oxfordshire (Bullingdon) Battalion which includes father and son members, Harry and Harry Leslie Luckett.

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OXFORDSHIRE, SOUTH LEIGH
Go to this page to read about the HQ of this small village HG section which was located at South Leigh station on the Oxford to Witney G.W.R. line.

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OXFORDSHIRE, TACKLEY
Lorrie Jones' Memories of the Home Front in Oxford records an interview which mentions many aspects of the Home Front:

"....Oh, my father was, my father was in the Home Guard and it was, um.. the, sort of Captain of them, a bit like Captain Mannering in Dad’s Army, was Major Cooper from Tackley. And he’d got herds of Jersey cows which he used to milk and I can always remember that they, they were on parade and he sent his men off to milk the cows and my father said he wanted to go cos he’d got animals to see to and the pub to see to. “Oh, no, you can’t do that” so he said “Well I’m going to” so he said to the man standing next to him, “arrest him” and it was his brother so he wasn’t going to.....wasn’t going to be likely to arrest him....."

© Lorrie Jones and Museum of Oxford 2005          To read the whole of this memoir in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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OXFORDSHIRE, WITNEY
Three group images showing men of the 3rd Oxfordshire Battalion can be seen on this page

Read interesting memories of the de Havilland Platoon, Witney Coy., 3rd Oxfordshire Battalion and three of its members, Pte. Stanley Britton, Harold Green and Eric Munton....

..... And of another Witney man, Frank Ernest Bishop.

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PEMBROKESHIRE
Sqn. Ldr. Tony Jukes, RAF (Retd.) writes (July 2013) as follows:

I am carrying out a survey of military defences and activities in West Wales & West Glamorgan.  I am particularly interested in the HG units and their activity in my area.  I would like to contact CRM 6 and PEM 2 group/individuals.

Please see GUESTBOOK for contact details.

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PERTHSHIRE, GARTH
On 17th August 1940 Major F.D. Merrielees lost his life when a grenade exploded during a training course. Several other Home Guards were injured, one seriously.

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POWYS, PENYBONTFAWR
Mr. John Clarke has an unpleasant experience very early in his Home Guard career. (You will leave this site).

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RENFREWSHIRE  Rudolf Hess
The story of William MacFarlane Ferguson, his role as a Guide in the 1st Renfrewshire & Bute Battalion and his close involvement in an incident which has subsequently become one of the great unsolved mysteries ofthe 20th century. 

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RUTLAND
For further reading:
To The Last Round: The Leicestershire and Rutland Home Guard 1940-1945
     by Austin J. Ruddy
Publisher: Breedon Books May 2007
HB 224pp - 240 x 170mm - 200 illus.
ISBN 978 1 85983 559 3

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SELKIRKSHIRE, SELKIRK
Within a detailed memoir dealing with his war, I came home for the Selkirk Common Riding, Mr. Jack Harper makes several references to his Home Guard experience in Selkirk. (You will leave this site).

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SHROPSHIRE
Click above to go to separate section within this site.

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SOMERSET
Further reading:
The Somerset Home Guard: A Pictorial Roll-call - Jeffrey Wilson
Publisher Millstream Books, UK, 2004
ISBN 0948975717
Format: hardback - 300 Pages, 480 Illustrations, 50 Maps

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SOMERSET, CREECH ST. MICHAEL
A captioned image of the Creech St. Michael platoon may be seen by clicking the above title.
The image also appears in an interesting site dealing with the Somerset defensive lines of WW2 and their surviving structures. You can visit it by clicking here. (You will leave this site).

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SOMERSET, FROME
A memory of the dedication shown by members of the local Home Guard unit. (You will leave this site).

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SOMERSET, ILCHESTER
Mr. George Stephens remembers the Ilchester Home Guard unit. (You will leave this site).

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SOMERSET, KEYNSHAM
Margaret Smith remembers her service in the Admiralty Home Guard “C” Company (Signals) between 1942 and 1944. (You will leave this site).

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SOMERSET, MARK
"Who Fired the Rifle and Hit Jesse Salvidge's Guttering?" - the story of Mr. John Shepherd's Home Guard experiences. (You will leave this site).

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SOMERSET, SOMERTON  
The following anecdote comes from a former Home Guard of the 12th Somerset (Somerton) Battalion:

Old Harry was coming off night guard duty - with his rifle slung over his shoulder his route home took him over the Somerset Levels - cycling slowly along a drove through the swirling mist he was suddenly confronted by the crew of a German aircraft which had been damaged and ditched on the Levels.
'Kamerad! Kamerad!' called out one of the Germans,"Hier ist meine Pistole!"
They may have thought Old Harry's response less than helpful.
"Oi can't be bothered with you lot - Oi'm just going off duty!! If you go down the road for a mile you may find a policeman.  G'night!"

(Thanks to AD of High Ham for passing on that gem.)

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SOMERSET, WASHFORD CROSS
A memoir, including a photograph, of the Home Guard unit responsible for a BBC transmitter. (You will leave this site).

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STAFFORDSHIRE
Click above to go to separate section within this site.
New additions!

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SUFFOLK, BRAMFIELD
Click here for an image of the Bramfield, near Halesworth unit. (You will leave this site).

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SUFFOLK, EARL SOHAM
For three good quality images of groups from the 8th Suffolk Home Guard, regrettably not so far captioned, click here, here and here.  (You will leave this site).

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SUFFOLK, ELMSWELL
Justyn Keeble writes (May 2016):

Headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, 'F' Company of the 3rd Battalion Suffolk Home Guard originally formed in Elmswell as the Local Defence Volunteers in May 1940 becoming the Home Guard a few weeks later under the command of Captain James "Jock" Henderson. By 1941 Elmswell was the largest unit in its area with 2 officers and 61 men.

Although much smaller than the village of today, Elmswell was located along Eastern Command’s invasion Stop Line 'D' and was home to a number of food producers as well as timber production. The railway yard formed a central point for these industries, so security was paramount, even more so after the US Army Air Force moved into Great Ashfield from 1942 with the 385th Bombardment Group. Much of the base's supply came via the railway at Elmswell, so regular patrols were mounted around the station.

See also Reenactment Groups page in this website.            Recent addition!

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SUFFOLK, GREAT YARMOUTH
Click here to read of the downing of a Me 109 by 16-year-old Home Guard, Mr. Eric Leggett and his brother - and an appeal for further information. (You will leave this site).

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SUFFOLK, HALESWORTH
In Was This A Dad's Army Success? Mr. Charles Aldred relates his Uncle Willy's single-handed defence of his village against a lethal Dornier attack. You will leave this site).

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SUFFOLK, IPSWICH
There are many excellent descriptions of Home Guard and ARP activities in Ipswich in a WW2 diary "Mr Brown's War".  See the LINKS page for further information on this book.

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SUFFOLK, IXWORTH
The Ixworth Village website includes an excellent, illustrated summary of the local defences in WW2  and also descriptions of surviving structures. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY
Further reading:
Surrey Home Guard - by Paul Crook
Publisher: Middleton Press, UK, 2000 -ISBN 1901706575 - Format: hardback - 96 Pages, 120 Illustrations and Maps

Soldiers of the King - The Story of the 53rd Surrey Battalion Home Guard
Hardback: 118 pages - June 1946

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SURREY, CATERHAM and OXTED
A memoir by Major F. Marden of ‘C’ Company 9th Surrey (Oxted) Bn Home Guard. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, CHOBHAM
A brief memory of Chobham's Home Guard unit can be viewed by clicking here. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, CRANLEIGH
A brief but interesting memoir mentioning names and places. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, CROYDON
Mr. Roger Aldis remembers. (You will leave this site).

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A memory and image of Mr. Charles Bentley and his South Croydon unit. (You will leave this site).

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A brief history of the various battalions which made up the Croydon Home Guard.
Added November 2021

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SURREY, EWELL
Mr Gerry Viewing wrote the following description of his Home Guard acitivities for the BBC WW2 People's War Archive:

.........Two friends and I joined the Home Guard, the East Surrey Regt, 56 Bat, B Company, at 16. Jim Davey and Jack Hobby and I joined men who had survived the First World War and they were very knowledgeable and skilled, giving us great confidence. We attended twice a week and at the weekend as well on Sunday mornings or sometimes all weekend. Before we were allowed to have a rifle, we trained for about 6 weeks at the Drill Hall (where the TA is now, at the Organ Inn lights). We had a ‘range’ to practise firing our rifles and throwing hand grenades, which was at the bottom of Box Hill where the chalk cliff is. Then we were assigned to Platoon 6, 4 section as our unit. Although I should have been in 3 section, I was allowed to join 4 section with my friends. The area of responsibility covered from the Spring Hotel to Ruxley Lane, with the west side of the Hogsmill River marking our boundary. On a number of occasions we were put on standby, but in fact nothing happened which required us to go into action. We were issued with a rifle when we were assigned to the unit, plus ten rounds of ammunition. Usually we hid the bolt of the rifle when not in use, so that it could not be stolen. Although we were only 16, we were quite responsible enough to be armed. On a couple of occasions, we were given an alert which meant that I had to go to work in my uniform with my rifle so that I was already prepared................

© Mr Gerry Viewing 2005     To read the rest of Mr. Viewing's wartime memoir, please click here. (You will leave this site. WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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SURREY, FARNHAM
Click the title to read a very interesting and fully illustrated article by Dr. Adrian Chan-Wyles on the subject of the GHQ (Defence) Line "B" - also known as "Ironside's Line" and "Defence Area 13 Waverly Abbey" - which was parly manned by members of the 2nd Surrey (Farnham) Home Guard.

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SURREY, KENLEY
Wlliam Battle of the 58th Surrey (Purley) Battalion lost his life in air raid on the nearby RAF Kenley aerodrome on Sunday 18th August 1940.  He is thought to be the first Home Guard to have lost his life as the result of enemy action.

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SURREY, KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES
A visitor to this website is seeking any information concerning his father's Home Guard service. Alfred Davis, who died in 1985, was a member of the Kingston unit between 1940 and 1944. If you can help in any way, please contact Lee Davis via his email address in the Guestbook or if you prefer via this website.

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SURREY, LINGFIELD
Cynthia Turner relates her experiences of wartime Lingfield including an anecdote about her father:

"........My father was in the Home Guard and worked on a poultry farm about three miles away. One day, at work, he heard a German plane coming over which dropped two bombs in the fields and then a parachute appeared. He chased after the pilot eventually capturing him, who he described as "just a boy", and took him to the nearest road where he stopped the first car which took him to the nearest police station....... "

© Cynthia Turner 2003     To read the rest of this memoir in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.)

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.SURREY: MEMORIES OF Pte. P. IN "A SURREY PLATOON"
Click above to read two wonderful anecdotes about the occasionally less than perfect operation of a Surrey platoon which defended an area not too far from Wimbledon Common.

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SURREY, MITCHAM
A brief memory of a first-aider in the local unit. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, NORMANDY and WOOD STREET
Interesting details of the Home Front in Normandy are to be seen here, including a captioned image of the local Home Guard unit and information about other Civil Defence activities. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, PURLEY
Please see SURREY, KENLEY above

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SURREY, REDHILL and REIGATE
Within a website covering the history of Redhill and Reigate, there is an excellent, well illustrated page describing the activities and personnel of the 8th (Surrey) Battalion which was responsible for defending the area. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, REIGATE and DORKING
Mr. Colin Metcalfe remembers a Southern Railway Home Guard unit commanded by his father. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, SANDERSTEAD
A memory of Capt. Albert (aka Ernest) Archer-Smith, C.O. of the local unit. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, WALTON-ON-THAMES
The bravery of Reginald Moyse is related by his son in Gas Holder on Fire, February 1944: Home Guard Bravery in Walton-on-Thames. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, WEYBRIDGE
In Homeguard Stand Down Concert Pte. Sydney Prowting remembers his Home Guard service and particularly his participation in the London Stand-Down parade as a representative of his battalion, the 10th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, WOKING
In Alarm Bells Ringing in Woking! Sheila Thomson (nee Howitt) recalls an invasion scare in a Home Guard household. (You will leave this site).

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SURREY, YATELEY
Mr. Douglas Gibbs remembers wartime Yateley and his Home Guard service. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX

Further reading:
Sussex Home Guard - Paul Crook
Publisher: Middleton Press, 1998
ISBN 1901706249
Format: Hardback

The Defence of East Sussex Project website provides information about local defence arrangements in 1940-41. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, ASHBURNHAM
There is a captioned image to be seen here of the local unit and also details, including members' names, of a local Auxiliary Unit.  (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, BATTLE
Mr. Ivor White remembers some of his Home Guard experience:

"........I have many memories of my guard duties with the Battle Home Guard from 1942 to 1944 when I was enlisted by the Irish Guards to join my brother in the Guards Armoured Division in Germany.
I have a certificate from George VI which reads:
'In the years when our Country was in mortal danger Ivor Noel Morgan White gave generously of his time and powers to make himself ready for her defence by force of arms, and with his life if need be'.
I was very honoured to be chosen to carry the very first official 'Home Guard'wreath to the Cenotaph in November 2002. For some reason the Home Guard had not previously been included in the Armistice Parade in Whitehall and it was difficult to find enough surviving members to attend.
Having joined within several days of my 15th Birthday I have reason to believe that I am the youngest member of the Home Guard alive today. Unless you know better ?..........."

© Ivor White 2004      To read the rest of this memoir in its original setting, the BBC's excellent People's War Archive, please click here.    (You will leave this site.  WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The complete archive can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar. Also visit Mr. White's personal website - a similar link is below in the next item).

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SUSSEX, BATTLE, BATTLE HILL and NETHERFIELDELD
Memories and images of 19th Battalion, Sussex Home Guard, can be viewed by clicking here. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, BEXHILL
In The Night Dad Went Off to Win the War Mr. Herbert Britt goes forth to engage the Hun. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, BOGNOR REGIS
Click above to read the story of John Robert Oliver, a member of the 8th Sussex (Bognor Regis and Selsey) Battalion manning the ex-naval guns in 149 Batteryused for coastal defence at Bognor (in which Mr. Angus Cameron also served as a Regular Engine Room Fitter). Also read the remarkable letters from his wife who with their two children was sent to the "safety" of rural Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire.

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SUSSEX, BRIGHTON
Guarding the South Downs - a memoir. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, FERNHURST
A detailed and informative memoir (in two sections) by Mr. Ken Young, including an image of 16th Platoon E Company 7th Sussex Home Guard, of activities and personalities in this part of Sussex.  Click Part 1 and Part 2. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, FINDON
There is interesting information here on Home Guard and Auxiliary Unit activities in this part of West Sussex. The site's "Wartime Index" is also worth investigating as it leads to a wealth of other Home Front information. (You will leave this site. Regrettably, as at February 2020, this information appears to be no longer available).

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SUSSEX, HASTINGS
The 23rd Sussex Home Guard reenactment group was formed in 2000, the aim being to recreate a fully trained and armed Home Guard Battle Platoon as they would have appeared in early 1942. They represent the Hastings Battalion of the Home Guard. See further details of their activities elsewhere in this website.

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SUSSEX, HAYWARDS HEATH
These men are known to have been members of "D" Coy., 13th Sussex (Haywards Heath) Battalion; their signatures were engraved on a presentation tankard:

Avery T A , Baines A W, Baughary E A, Bodey W, Boolet W T, Butler W E, Church A R, Clarke T, Clarke T H L, Cowdery W M, Ford W, Freerly C S, Gibson J W, Hunt C R, Hyde R S, Jackman H, Norris W, Parsons R, Peachey J W, Peacock T, Plummer C W, Radford R C, Rapson Tony, Sayers T, Skuyles Cecil H A, Small M T, Upton L, Wood, Wright V H.
 (Acknowledgement to David Morse.  Added April 2020)

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SUSSEX, LICKFOLD
Ode to the Home Guard, a 1943 poem, marking the third anniversary and written by ‘Winkle Ayling -The Lickfold Bun King’. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, NUTBOURNE and BOSHAM
"I bless the memory of a father who 'did his bit' for his country in two World Wars and who conveyed to me a patriotic pride, which I retain". Mr. David Miles provides us with an affectionate portrait of his R.F.C and Home Guard father, Ernest Alfred Miles. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, WALBERTON
In German Parachute in Tree read the story of Mr. Norman Wyatt's capture of a Luftwaffe pilot. (You will leave this site).

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SUSSEX, WARTLING nr. HERSTMONCEUX
Mr. Jim Honeysett remembers his experiences in No1 Platoon 20th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. In a further, similar posting by the same author there is an excellent image of the platoon. (You will leave this site in either case).

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Grateful acknowledgement for badge images to Stanley C. Jenkins.

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