Colonel Burton asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that in the event of nominated women in the Home Guard coming within enemy action or being captured by the enemy they are afforded sufficient evidence of their belligerency by the wearing of their plastic badge and the certificate that they are authorised to follow the Armed Forces of the Crown and thus be able to claim the protection afforded under Article 81 of the International Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. Home Guard (Nominated Women) - Hansard A Forgotten Contribution: Women and the Home Guard
Hi Fieldfare, A visit to the Lostwithiel Museum may be worthwhile. It doesn't open until April as it closes during the winter months but contact can be made through its website. Lostwithiel Museum Most of the information I hold about Lostwithiel in the war is from the earlier period but these two photographs may be of interest. The photo below of the Lostwithiel Home Guard was taken on 4th May 1943 so just before the dates you are interested in. It's taken on the verge of the main A390 opposite what is now the Community Centre. The photo below shows the Home Guard in the Salute the Soldier Parade on 13th May 1944 so from the time period you want but only shows a small number of the men. It is taken in front of what was then the Free Methodist Chapel on Albert Terrace.
My dad was in 8 WORCS R and I remember him training post Dunkirk on Bodmin Moor. Subsequent to this, he was posted as an instructor to 8 Corps Vehicle Maintenance School at Minehead, Somerset where he stayed until the school closed. He then was posted to the India/Burma theatre until close of hostilities.
8 Worcestershire Regiment were evacuated from Bray Sands, Dunkirk on 31st May 1940. They regrouped at Derby & Castle Donnington. They arrived in Cornwall on 28th July at a tented camp at Lanhydrock House, near Bodmin. On 5th August they moved to Penryn to build and man the landward defences protecting the port of Falmouth. Indeed the line of pillboxes protecting Falmouth on the landward side was known as the Worcestershire Line. They took over defending a 40 mile stretch of Cornish coast from the RNF and so moved into Falmouth itself. On 8th October they were relieved by the Beds & Herts & the 8th moved to Truro. On the Friday 20th/ Saturday 21st December 1940 they took part in a 48th Division exercise on Bodmin Moor to practice night marching & occupation of a position at night & the administration of feeding in the field & clothing (the handling of greatcoats). The weather was bitterly cold. They were back in Truro by the Sunday & enjoyed the hospitality of the Truro folk for Christmas.
Would anyone happen to have any information please, on the home Guard St Austell, Charlestown? It was a small village and a lot of us still remember the names if not the people from their elder years. We are trying to piece together as much information from the war as we can so that future generations will not forget.
I may have missed this on my way back through in case someone else has suggested it, but I found in Western Command a great deal about local defences, like anti-tank islands, HG organisation and training, in the sub-area files, area, or district files of the Command. You might find the same in Southern Command.
Hi Osborne2 I have been through the Area and Sub Area files for Southern Command at Kew looking for detail and there is some, but not a lot, on Cornwall in 1940-41. I have also tried the same for Western Command looking for info on Welsh stop-lines and defences.. It is noticeable that there is far less retained for Western Command than for Southern Command and there are at least two stop-lines in Wales I can think of where there are no details at all. Thanks for the idea though and always interested if you come across something.
Hi Skoyen89, Stop line construction in Western Command was nowhere near as advanced as Southern and Eastern Commands. Shortages of labour and materials in 1940. Also most RE and Pioneers in SC and EC.See Newbold Thesis.RE staff in WC very small and massive projects Nesscliffe, Donnington, Kineton, Western Approaches Derby Sq Liverpool, Castlemartin. . In 1941 still adding barbed wire to stop lines in Clwydian mtns using 18th Division troops from Cheshire. They were supposed to be training for middle east. WC GOC retired shortly after but no evidence of a direct link. Another of CIGS Alan Brooke's clear out. S-lines by 1941 not supposed to be flavour of the month I thought after Brooke changed the Ironside strategy. Put me right please somebody.