Home Guard London

[WestKent78]

Hello all,

I'm trying to piece together my grandfather's war service.

He was an engineer working for Vickers in the London area, and as such was turned down from the RAF being in a reserved industry.

Initially he joined the Bexleyheath, Kent company of the LDV but when Vickers established a battalion he entered that.
His memory is pretty vague on this but apparently there was a grouping of 5 of these factory battalions, Fraser's being another one he can remember. Eventually he ended up as 2nd in command of one of these battalions. Unfortunately he appears to have thrown out all his relevant papers soon after the war, so I've very little to go on.

So, I'm hoping that there is an expert on the Home Guard here who knows which numbered battalions these would have been? And anything further about these battalions.

Incidentally, were there any war diaries produced for the Home Guard? Are any records of the Home Guard available for access at the NA?

Thank you for any help forthcoming.
Matthew

[Chris Basey]

Matthew

If you haven't already seen it, there is some interesting stuff on this website:

http://www.home-guard.org.uk/history.html

[WestKent78]

Chris,

Thank you for the link.

Always good to find more information.

Matthew

[mattgibbs]

Vickers did indeed have their own Home Guard. Several other big companies also had them. Die to the sensitive work they were doing often these were all men who worked there so it would not matter if they saw what was going on, ie the EKCO radio factory was making secret radar parts.
I am not sure how many units Vickers would have had, but at least one for each factory site. As it happens they had their own cap badge, a rare piece of Hom Guard memorabilia today!
They had HG at Brooklands where they were making Wellington Bombers. Also at the Elswick factory in Newcastle.
I know at Weybridge was the VICKERS ARMSTRONG AIRCRAFT FACTORY UNIT, WEYBRIDGE
[later part of 10th SURREY (VICKERS ARMSTRONG) BATTALION;
then part of 3rd SURREY (WEYBRIDGE) BATTALION] As one of their members won the George Medal in 1940 along with 2 others one a GM and another the George Cross after an air raid. I will try and find out more!
Regards
MG

[angie999]

My uncle worked for Thornycroft, an important vehicle manufacturer of the time, in Basingstoke. In his case, he had been turned down by the Royal Navy because of his reserved occupation as a highly skilled pattern maker. From the time it was formed, he was a member of the factory Home Guard unit.

I think it was probably quite common on sites which were big enough to have one and there was something worth guarding.

[mattgibbs]

Angie
I agree. The largest 'single factory identity' Home Guard unit apparently was at Glasgow Docks. I am not at all sure that it was part of the "City Of Glasgow Home Guard" I think I heard it was seperate.
Kind regards
MG