Wartime Wednesday: Britain's Home Guard
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Britain's Home Guard |
Originally known and the Local Defence Volunteers,
Britain’s Home Guard was nicknamed “Look, Duck, and Vanish.” Despite being
tagged with this unfortunate misnomer, the Guard was responsible for several
important tasks. Comprised of men who were either too young or too old, ineligible
for service due to medical conditions, or those in reserved occupations, at its
height the organization had nearly two million members.
In the event of an invasion, their role was to slow
down the advance of enemy troops to give the regular armed forces time to
regroup or react. Responsible for guarding the coast areas and strategic
locations such as airfields, factories, and explosive stores, they were trained
in weapons handling, unarmed combat, and guerrilla warfare techniques.
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Osterly Park, Home Guard Training Facility |
One such facility that provide training was Osterly
Park, located in the Borough of Hounslow outside of London. Originally built in
1570 for a banker named Sir Thomas Gresham, the house changed hands over the
years until it came into possession of the Jersey family. During WWII, the 9th
Earl of Jersey allowed writer and military journalist Tom Wintringham to use the
grounds to teach camouflage techniques, making home-made explosives,
hand-to-hand combat, and knife fighting. Ironically, because of Wintringham’s
communist sympathies he was not allowed to join the Home Guard, and the
facility was disapproved by the War Office and closed in 1941.
Initially, the Guard did not allow female members, so
women formed unofficial groups such as the Amazon Defence Corps and Women’s
Home Defence (WHD). In the WHD, women were given basic military training.
Eventually women were admitted to the Home Guard with the understanding that
they would occupy traditional women’s support roles. Several sources claim that
although records are scarce, it is evident that some women held combatant
roles.
When it became apparent in late 1944, that the Axis
powers would not invade Britain, the Home Guard was “stood down.” The
organization was disbanded in December 1945, having lost 1,026 members on duty
to air and rocket attacks.
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