Conscription into the Home Guard 1942

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Paul Dorrell, Aug 25, 2011.

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  1. Paul Dorrell

    Paul Dorrell Member

    I'm getting confused ...nothing new there ... but I hope someone may be able to help me.

    As I understand it, the National Service Act 1942 extended to age limits for men serving in the Home Guard and enabled conscription to be introduced in areas where there was a manpower shortage in the HG. It did other things too, but it's the upper limit for Home Guards that I am struggling with.

    In 1942 my grandfather was 58 years old. He was a WW1 Artillery veteran and was living in Southend on Sea in Essex. He had not previously volunteered for service with the Home Guard, but his attestation papers show that he did so on February 20th 1942. He eventually formed part of a team manning a coastal defence gun at Shoeburyness Ranges.

    Could his joining be as a direct result of the Act? That is, could he have been conscripted? I thought the Act stated that anyone over 51 years was exempt. Or did they accept volunteers of any age and it was just conscription that was limited to 51 years?

    Any thoughts please?

    Paul
     
  2. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    Your grandfather must have volunteered. Formal conscription both to full-time service and to the Home Guard was limited to men under 51. The only difference the Act might have made was perhaps to exert moral pressure on your grandfather to do something.
     
  3. Paul Dorrell

    Paul Dorrell Member

    Thanks Drayton. I suspect it may have been spouse pressure rather than moral pressure - but it achieved the same ends. At least I am anow clear about the upper age limit on conscription. Thanks again.
     
  4. Tab

    Tab Senior Member

    Nearly all the men that were not in the forces had a second job like the Home Guard, ARP, Fire Brigade, Observer Corps. Air Raid Wardens, and the Police to name but few. How they managed this and a hard full time job only they know but you have to take your hat off to what they achieved.
     
  5. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    One aspect of this part-time work was, in a sense, "conscripted", in that all businesses and institutions had to provide a rota of employees for "firewatching", that is, staying overnight to look out for fires and taking preliminary sction (with water buckets, stirrup pump and sand) until the fire brigade arrived.

    A siimilar compulsory rota applied in each residential street, so that some men were on two rota systems.

    The upper age limit for this compulsion was 60.
     

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