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In spring 1940 Hitler unleashed his blitzkrieg, and as the British Expeditionary Force fell back to Dunkirk Britain was in imminent danger. In response to the threat of enemy paratroopers, Anthony Eden, Secretary of State for War made a radio appeal on 14 May 1940 for men who were for one reason or another not at present engaged in military service, and who wish to do something for the defence of their country to join a new force named The Local Defence Volunteers. The men of Britain answered the call, not in hundreds as anticipated, but in thousands. Over 250,000 signed up in the first 24 hours and thousands more followed. Badly equipped and with no more uniform than an armband, the organisation was taken under the wing of Winston Churchill in July 1940 and re-christened The Home Guard. This book tells the Home Guards story, using original training manuals, photographs, and memoirs, and covers all aspects of their history.
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Resourceful Defenders of Britain
11 Mar 2010
Format:Paperback
The Local Defense Volunteers (later named The Home Guard by Winston Churchill) was an organization with a compelling story. It was established to channel the patriotism of those British men too young or too old to join the military. They were charged with the protection of their own towns against the very real threat of a German invasion. What started as a rag-tag bunch, dressed in street clothes and drilling with broomsticks had by war's end become a capable fighting force. Thorough, yet concise, Neil Storey's The Home Guard published by Shire Books is a brilliant introduction to these defenders of Britain.
Storey's 56 page book is a bit like an Osprey Publishing Men at Arms title. It's heavily illustrated (color and black & white photos), it covers all the basic information one would want to know about the Home Guard as a military unit, and it arranges this info in a clear and visually appealing way. What I found most interesting was the resourcefulness required of the Home Guard troops during their early days. Early training relied on illustrated guidebooks, self-initiated courses, but eventually included specialized training schools run by the British military.
So lacking in government support, the Local Defense Volunteer (LDV) "uniform" initially consisted of a simple armband worn over civilian clothes. In time the Home Guard troops received uniforms mirroring that in the regular Army. Organization was based at the county level. The author details on county abbreviations, cap badges, rank, and other insignia. As it grew the simple patrolling institution developed specializations such as antitank, antiaircraft, transport, and bomb squads.
The first LDV troops were armed with whatever the men themselves could provide: hunting pieces, museum collections, even knives tied to a broom handles. As volunteer numbers swelled they gained government support, first receiving thousands of surplus American WWI rifles. Later their weapons included more standard Army pieces and artillery specially designed for the Home Guard.
he Home Guard also includes info on woman volunteer units and Churchill's Secret Army, the Auxiliary Units. These were top-secret paramilitary men often plucked from the ranks of the Home Guard. Their job would go into affect after Britain's occupation by German forces. They were instructed to live as civilians, while organizing guerrilla attacks in areas controlled by the enemy.
Britain's Home Guard had been lacking in serious scholarship until really the last 10 years or so. Storey's book is a great place to start a more detailed study. In addition to his own overview, the author suggests further reading. There are a few other Home Guard history books recently published, and many of the original 1940s training manuals are now available a reprints.
Storey's 56 page book is a bit like an Osprey Publishing Men at Arms title. It's heavily illustrated (color and black & white photos), it covers all the basic information one would want to know about the Home Guard as a military unit, and it arranges this info in a clear and visually appealing way. What I found most interesting was the resourcefulness required of the Home Guard troops during their early days. Early training relied on illustrated guidebooks, self-initiated courses, but eventually included specialized training schools run by the British military.
So lacking in government support, the Local Defense Volunteer (LDV) "uniform" initially consisted of a simple armband worn over civilian clothes. In time the Home Guard troops received uniforms mirroring that in the regular Army. Organization was based at the county level. The author details on county abbreviations, cap badges, rank, and other insignia. As it grew the simple patrolling institution developed specializations such as antitank, antiaircraft, transport, and bomb squads.
The first LDV troops were armed with whatever the men themselves could provide: hunting pieces, museum collections, even knives tied to a broom handles. As volunteer numbers swelled they gained government support, first receiving thousands of surplus American WWI rifles. Later their weapons included more standard Army pieces and artillery specially designed for the Home Guard.
he Home Guard also includes info on woman volunteer units and Churchill's Secret Army, the Auxiliary Units. These were top-secret paramilitary men often plucked from the ranks of the Home Guard. Their job would go into affect after Britain's occupation by German forces. They were instructed to live as civilians, while organizing guerrilla attacks in areas controlled by the enemy.
Britain's Home Guard had been lacking in serious scholarship until really the last 10 years or so. Storey's book is a great place to start a more detailed study. In addition to his own overview, the author suggests further reading. There are a few other Home Guard history books recently published, and many of the original 1940s training manuals are now available a reprints.
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