Looking through some order of battles, I see reference to various 'Home Defence' and 'Garrison' Battalions. As an example, 7th Bn Dorsetshire Regiment is labelled as a garrison battalion. Are these simply the roles associated with the battalion that were inserted by the author (a standard infantry battalion given a home defence/garrison role as opposed to being assigned to a brigade/division), or are they actual official unit types (and if so, how did the war establishments differ from standard infantry battalions)?
Martin, somewhere I've seen a MUCH better description of this recently, but I can't remember where....so here goes... Garrison battalions were composed of soldiers either too old or medically unfit for active front-line service; the Home Service status for some batalions indicated they were unable to be transferred overseas. Up until 1936 there had existed the Royal Defence Corps, a (money-saving) conversion of 18 old WWI Home Defence Battalions. This idea was revived in 1936 and the RDC was converted into the Home Defence Companies of the Territorial Army...and unlike the rest of the Terries couldn't legally be called out to deal with civil unrest issues (the Territorials had been brought out during the General Strike IIRC) Originally organised in "groups" in 1936....E.G. 102 Group National Defence Company (Territorial Army Reserve) went on to become 11th (Home Defence) Battalion The Manchester Regiment....they seem to have been the cadre around which the "full" Home Defence Battalions were re-formed in early 1939. They were intended to guard bridges, ports, POW camps, that sort of thing, the jobs the Home Defence battalions had done in WWI...but as you can see were written into the full defence plans for the summer of 1940, and later in the war IIRC a few di even serve abroad in 2nd-line roles.
Just thinking out loud, when the "danger" of invasion was seen to be imminent in the planning scheme of things, every unit would have been brought to bear in some way or another, would it not? Would these units have retained their normal day to day officers or would they have been supplemented (replaced) by present front line experienced officer ranks? I realise that there would have been a drought as such after Dunkirk but who was leading these units? Would they have been mostly WW1 officers?
So could one then assume that these were groupings of (likely) under-strength Rifle Companies, and certainly without the heavy weapons of an Infantry Battalion such as machine guns, mortars, AT guns, etc?
Weren't Garrison Battalions precisely that; Orkney Isle of Wight,Gibraltar,etc.or perhaps for policing purposes after towns and cities were passed by the advancing Armies, jainso31
Garrison Battalions had their own War Establishment Tables which can be found on the Trux website. Go to Trux/Arms/Infantry/Loc units. As suggested they were composed of personnel of lower medical categories and had limited transport and support weapons. If you would like the BEF War Establishment for Garrison Battalions I can provide them. Major Garrisons had their own individually tailored establishments. Mike.
My grandfather enlisted 01-01-40 into the 11th HD Battalion of the Queens Royal Regiment, i guess responding to the call for old soldiers to join these HD regiments. He was 50 yrs old at the time and a veteran of WW1. I assume that a record for his service would be available from Glasgow Army Records office, and will apply for them in due course, however does any one know if this will also have his WW1 record with it?
I have seen a piece of paperwork for late August 1939 letterheaded as: 4th Battalion the Essex Regiment National Defence Company It was issued a few days prior to the outbreak of war. I have digested what these units were and how they were intended to be used, but can't figure out whether this one would have been distinct from (Territorial) 4th Battalion, the Essex Regiment, which was certainly in existence on this date. Was it just the core complement of the senior territorial men who would organise the battalion as it assembled or a completely separate body that comprised former members of the 4th Bn?
This little blurb is from A History of the Herefordshire Regiment 1860-1967 and does a nice job of describing the National Defence Companies. "In 1939 the United Kingdom was divided into regions for civil defence, each under a regional commissioner. The Welsh Region with headquarters at Cardiff consisted of the whole of Wales, while the counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire were part of the Midland Region, with headquarters at Birmingham. Militarily, Wales, Shropshire and Herefordshire came under Western Command, with headquarters at Chester, and formed Welsh Area with headquarters at Shrewsbury. This area was divided into four zones, each under a zone commander with powers to assist the civil defence authorities in an emergency. Certain vulnerable points laid down by the War Office were to be guarded by troops of the recently formed National Defence Companies (Territorial Army Reserve). In 1939 ex-servicemen between the ages of 45 and 55 were encouraged to enlist in a Reserve Company of their local Territorial battalion, which was to be formed for home defence. It was proposed to form a platoon in each large town in the county and enlistment was for four years, and the rates of pay and allowances were as laid down for the Territorial Army. On being called up for service in one of the groups of the National Defence Companies, men, if passed fit, received a bounty of £5. They were clothed, armed and equipped as in the Territorial Army, and British Legion Headquarters were asked by the War Office to assist in raising a force of 25,000 men. However, as it transpired, events moved too quickly and it was found impracticable to deploy the National Defence Companies, and initially most of the vulnerable points were guarded by Militiamen from the depot in Welsh Area."
