Home Guard Collection

Dads Army actors at the opening of a new exhibition about the real Dads Army - the Home Guard at the Imperial War Museum Left to right are Private Godfrey played by Arnold Ridley

The Sutton Coalfield Battalion of the Warwickshire Home Guard paraded for inspection. Captain Wilfrid Bigwood the Commanding Officer

Billingshurst Home Guard Commander Changing, 1942
Photography by George Garland. Garland Collection West Sussex Record Office. RefNo: Garland N22002

Försvaret Främst (Defense primarily), 1914. Creator: Widholm, Gunnar (1882-1953)
Forsvaret Framst (Defense primarily), 1914. Private Collection

Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. 1917. Rear view of President Woodrow Wilson

Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. 1917. Rear view of President Woodrow Wilson

Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. Wilson, Back To Camera, Rev. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. Wilson, Back To Camera, Rev. 1917. Rear view of President Woodrow Wilson

Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. Wilson, Back To Camera, Rev. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Home Guard - Organization of Government Clerks, D.C. [President Woodrow] Wilson, Back To Camera, Rev. 1917

Swindon Home Guard manning an anti-aircraft gun platform, c. 1940
Swindon Works was considered a prime target for aircraft strikes during World War II. Here, two members of the Home Guard are manning an anti-aircraft gun platform situated on the roof of uniform

The folk of London on behalf of all Britain cheered and said "Well Done"
The folk of London on behalf of all Britain cheered and said " Well Done" as the Home Guard marched through the capital on the stand down parade

Home Guard armoured train with a 6-pounder gun mounted in the front. Location unknown apart from that is is in England. Picture circa 20th February 1944

British Parachute Squadron (actual regiment unknown) training group. Picture taken 2nd March 1942

The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) under instruction for a drill. Caption suggest the male is Sergeant Withers. Picture taken 3rd October 1941

Troops in Bridport, Devon, are entertained in a mobile theatre. Picture taken 27th March 1941

Dr Eduard Outrata, the Czechoslovakia Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, accompanied by Madam Outrata, visits South Wales this week. They are watching a lady operating a machine

People of James Reckitt Avenue, Hull, Yorkshire, look as the men dig the garden. It is likely that they are digging to build an air raid shelter

Members of the Home Guard seen here firing Z Battery short range anti aircraft missiles. July 1942

Picture shows The East Yorkshire Regiment, at Whitby, Yorkshire. The East Yorkshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army

One of the most up to date mobile canteens in the country. The canteen aquired by The Liverpool Gas Company. It will be stationed Broadway

Anti aircraft machine gun on a submarine boat. These machine guns were used for close range use, as the war planes got closer and closer to their targets. Picture taken during training

Anti aircraft gun and army unit in the Hull and Yorkshire, or East Riding, area of England during World War Two. Anti-aircraft warfare or counter-air defence is defined by NATO as " all measures

R A O C men learning the recovering of capsizes tanks at a Midlands training centre. England. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army

Dads Army, the Home Guard, in Bristol and Somerset between 1940 and 1942

Dads Army actor Arnold Ridley who plays Private Godfrey in the popular wartime comedy series, at the opening of a new exhibition about the real Dads Army - the Home Guard at the Imperial War Museum

The 13th Battalion Home Guard at a rifle shoot at Liddington, c. 1942
The 13th Battalion Home Guard at a rifle shoot on the chalk ridge at Liddington, near Swindon. The Home Guard evolved to be a well-equipped trained army and would partake in numerous drills

GWRs Home Guard battalions on parade at Castle Bar Park in London, c. 1940
The Home Guard was originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). The LDV was formed in May 1940, but in August 1940 the LDV changed its name to the Home Guard

Standing down parade of 13th Battalion Home Guard, Swindon Works, 1944
By the end of 1944 the threat of invasion from Germany became unlikely and it was decided that the Home Guard could be stood down

Presentation of the Wiltshire Home Guard in 1944
This photograph shows the presentation of an award to Home Guard member Mr C Wheeler in April 1944. He was a member of the 13th Battalion of the Wiltshire Home Guard which was formed in 1943 to

No 3 Company Swindon Battalion Home Guard, January 1941
Marching alongside the Iron Foundry (J Shop)

Members of Britains Home Guard in training, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, World War II, 1940 (b / w photo)
6015305 Members of Britains Home Guard in training, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, World War II, 1940 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Home Guard training in the construction of temporary and pontoon bridges whilst on manoeuvres. Circa 1941

Home Guard being given instruction in the Enfield Rifle whilst on training and manoeuvres. Circa 1941

Home Guard seen here in the swimming pool fully clothed during training and manoeuvres. Circa 1941

Home Guard seen here being drilled whilst on training and manoeuvres exercise. Circa 1941

Members of a Midland village Local Defence Volunteer organisation (LDV) receiving their orders during an exercise. 3rd July 1940

General de Gaulle shakes the hand of a Home Guard officer, Lt-Col. John H. Lewis. Looking on are the Lord Mayor, Norman Tiptaft, and also Col. Piggott

A crowd gathered in Victoria-square welcomed General de Gaulle, Commander of the Free French Forces, to Birmingham. The General visited the city to inspect a number of factories

General de Gaulle, Commander of the Free French Forces, arriving at the banqueting room at the Council House, Birmingham, for a civic luncheon given by the Lord Mayor

Home Guard Round Up Enemy"in Birmingham All-Night Test
Home Guard Round Up Enemy" in Birmingham All-Night Test. Incidents during the mock invasion operations in the Birmingham area 12th July 1941

Rocket projector drill for the Home Guard during the Second World War. West Midlands. 5th July 1942

The Suffolk Regiment with the B. E. F. (The British Expeditionary Force)
The Suffolk Regiment with the B.E.F. (The British Expeditionary Force). Pictures in the mess, having refreshments. The British Expeditionary Force was the name of the British Army in Western Europe

Picture taken at Number 56 (Woolwich) Squadron - air Training Corps. Picture shows Sir William Mitchell on Sunday morning 18th October 1942 on the front parade of the Royal Artillery Barracks

Picture shows Mrs Annie Kelly, boring a shaft of submarine. She is the wife of a crane driver in the same factory. Picture taken in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England. Picture taken 4th October 1944

From dusk to dawn, at an important un-named works in Birmingham, the works Home Guard man a specially built look-out tower

Scene at the cook house at the Reading Home Guard camp in Berkshire during the Second World War. 15th June 1942

Home Guard on parade in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. 1941

Members of the Reading Home Guard during the Second World War. Circa 1942

Womens Home Guard on parade at St Benedicts Square in Lincoln during the Second World War. 15th May 1944

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The Sutton Coalfield Battalion of the Warwickshire Home Guard paraded for inspection, showcasing their unwavering dedication to protecting their community during wartime. With determination etched on their faces, these brave men stood tall, ready to defend their homeland. In 1942, the Billingshurst Home Guard Commander changed hands, symbolizing the continuity and adaptability of this vital force. Stepping into his new role with pride and responsibility, he led his troops with unwavering resolve in the face of adversity. Amidst the chaos of war in 1940, Swindon's Home Guard manned an anti-aircraft gun platform. Their vigilant eyes scanned the skies as they stood united against enemy threats. These courageous individuals exemplified resilience and bravery in times of uncertainty. Sheffield Yorkshire witnessed a powerful display of unity when reviewing its Home Guard in 1941. Shoulder to shoulder, these ordinary citizens transformed into extraordinary defenders as they prepared themselves for any challenge that may come their way. At Liddington in 1942, members of the 13th Battalion Home Guard showcased their marksmanship skills at a rifle shoot. Precision and accuracy were paramount as they honed their abilities to protect what mattered most – home and country. GWR's Home Guard battalions paraded proudly at Castle Bar Park in London during 1940. The sight was awe-inspiring; a testament to ordinary people rising above themselves to become guardians of peace amidst turmoil. As World War II drew closer towards its end in 1944, Swindon Works bid farewell to its valiant soldiers from the 13th Battalion Home Guard during a standing down parade. Their duty fulfilled but not forgotten; these heroes left behind an indelible legacy within their community. In Wiltshire during that same year, the presentation of the Wiltshire Home Guard served as a reminder that every contribution counted towards safeguarding freedom.