Hi, My paternal grandfather was in the Home Guard at Withington, Herefordshire. Does anyone have any information and/or photos of the unit? His name was Walter Thomas Price (a WW1 veteran who fought with the 9th Devonshires before, I believe, re-enlisting for a while in the DCLI after the armistice). By the outbreak of WW2 he was living in Withington and working as a farmhand. Annoyingly we used to have a great photo of grandad on the march with the Home Guard, but many moons ago it was lost. I can still picture it in my mind though!
There are also several photos (have not checked them all) for Herefordshire Home Guard here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/23119954@N07/sets/72157624865316714/ perhaps he is on one of them?? TD
Thanks for your replies! What a great photo resource that is - thanks for pointing it out to me. Sadly I can't see grandad (that's him in my profile photo) in any of the Hereford ones.
A little confused as you have mentioned Withington, Herefordshire, yet this this link shows Withington, Shropshire ?? http://www.withingtonshropshire.co.uk/historic-documents/withington-home-guard , maybe there are photos in their records/archives? TD
LOL yeah, there are a few Withingtons around the UK, which makes researching a little more difficult! In my case I am definitely looking at the village of Withington in Herefordshire - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withington,_Herefordshire
Thanks for replying. Sadly Hereford archives doesn't have much regarding the Home Guard - some operational bits but nothing regarding personel.
Interesting that the Auxiliary Units had a presence in Herefordshire and Worcestershire also - they are the very rare examples of Aux Units that are located inland (a majority are around the coastline). More here: http://www.coleshillhouse.com/herefordshire-auxiliary-units-and-operational-bases.php
That's a great website isn't it? I don't think grandad was in the Auxiliaries though. The two stories that have been passed down the family is that nan got into trouble after welcoming grandad's patrol back by playing 'come to the cookhouse door boys' on their son's Boys Brigade bugle, and that grandad was once tasked (as he knew how to handle a rifle) with lying in wait on Dinmore Hill to shoot at a car that had been reported as flashing it's lights on that strategic hill. Nothing happened however, so he spent a night lying in a ditch for nothing!
Been a while since I updated this thread, but I have news... I'm honoured and excited to have been given an original notebook listing the personnel (grandad included) of the Home Guard for Withington, Herefordshire! It lists their names, military experience (if any) and next of kin (often with address), plus the occasional cryptic letter in the magin. I intend to transcribe the book and put it online eventually, anotating entries with information from my dad, who remembers many of the men listed. FYI the book as written by the leader (what rank would that be for a village unit [platoon?])?, who in later years gave it to my old headmaster. Dad bumped into him the other day, and mentioned my interest in local/family history. As a result I have been given his book - I am very lucky!
Took some snaps... I wonder what the letters in the margin mean? Note also that there's a date written on the top left corner of the first page - it says something like 'drawing! 20.05.40' or is that 20.03.46?
Quick update - I've made a small blog website to put the info on. It's at The Withington Home Guard - you can see the transcribed contents of the book by selecting 'Withington Home Guard personnel table' on the right hand side.
Quick update - the local archives centre has now digitised the book, and it can be viewed (and browsed) at Withington Home Guard 1940 log book 001.jpg - Herefordshire History