Browse Items (82 total)

  • Tags: Home Guard

Len Jones and an Atlantic convoy
Photo 1 is Sergeant Len Jones, Home Guard at Banwell in 1943.
Photos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are ships forming up for a 1941 convoy from Boston. The photographer is Arthur's friend Cecil Reid.

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Interview with Owen Cox
Owen Cox attended grammar school in York and joined the Home Guard when the war started. He joined the Royal Air Force aged 18, although his parents were not keen. His initial trade was ground wireless operator (Morse), waiting to attend a gunnery…

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Immediate training for all men fit to fight
Main article - states all men it is possible to use in defence of Britain will be called up and trained immediately with or without uniforms or equipment. Other headlines: obey these orders in invasion, give |L.D.V more weapons. Children for Canada…

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Two National Service Leaflets
Two leaflets, the first referring to members of the Home Guard and what they should do and the second instructions when attending a medical.

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Tom Wharmby
Tom Wharmby was born at Walkden, North Manchester. Mentions hobbies, schooling at St Johns School, Bolton Commercial and Worsley Technical School, his wedding and an accounting job at Cooper and Cooper. Details his military career with the Home Guard…

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Memoir by Arthur Hollis
Second page has colour photograph of Arthur Hollis, wearing blazer with medals, standing in a field at an event. Narrative covers early life in Hornchurch and Carshalton including schooling and hospital admissions. Writes of Dulwich College studies…

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A Hollis Home Guard
Full length portrait of a corporal wearing battledress and a tin helmet. He has a gas mask holder on his chest and a rifle slung on his shoulder. In the background a two storey house with windows and part of door. On the reverse 'A H Home Guard'.

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A Hollis Home Guard
Full length portrait of a man wearing battledress with corporal stripes, also with side cap and sword. In the background a house with windows and part of door. On the reverse 'A Hollis, Home Guard'.

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Letter to David Donaldson from Norman
Written from school; wishes David happy birthday and congratulations on expecting a baby. Offers some banter about prospective child. Commiserates over David's health and writes about what Norman's plans and ambitions for service in the air force.…

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Interview with Ernie Tillbrook
Ernest Hector Angelo Pedrazzini was the son of an Italian father and an English mother. After the war he changed his name to Tillbrook. Ernie’s father escaped from a prison camp during the First World War and found his way to Russia and employment…

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Interview with John Foster Thorp
John Thorp was born and raised in Manchester where he attended North Manchester Grammar School. Aged 17 he joined the Home Guard and when he was 18 he volunteered for the RAF with thoughts of becoming a pilot. While waiting at RAF Heaton Park to…

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Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Writes of frustration over mail and catches up with family and acquaintances. Mentions mock invasion and attacks by commandos, paratroops and home guard. Talks of life in camp.

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Interview with Jack Robson
Jack spent a year in the Local Defence Volunteers before he was called up in 1941. He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and became a radar mechanic. He trained on radio for five months in Glasgow and for a further two months in Bury on Searchlight…

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Interview with Arthur Pocklington
Arthur Pocklington grew up in Hull and had hoped to join the RAF as aircrew but failed the medical. He trained as a mechanic servicing the radar equipment on the aircraft. He served at RAF Scampton, RAF Dunholme Lodge and RAF Strubby before being…

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Interview with Ken Oatley
Initially too young to enlist at the outbreak of war, Ken Oatley served in the Home Guard until he was able to enlist in October 1940 and, after initial training, he undertook pilot training. After basic flying training he went onto Canada training…

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Interview with Bruce Minnitt
Bruce Minnitt served in the Second World War flying Wellingtons on maritime reconnaissance in the Mediterranean and B-24s in India. When war started Bruce joined the Home Guard and, in 1941, aged 18, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force. He actually…

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David Joseph's Home Guard Certificate
A certificate dated 'from 6th June 1940' awarded to David Joseph for his time in the Home Guard.

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Interview with Richard Hollis
Richard’s father, Arthur Hollis, went to Dulwich College as a day boy. He left aged 16 to join the Home Guard, then worked for a firm of accountants for a couple of years before joining the Royal Air Force. He was sent to Manchester University for…

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Interview with Margaret Hodgin
Margaret’s family lived in Fiskerton and her first memory of war time, when she was seven and her brother four, was of her father digging a shelter in the garden. The children would walk or cycle to Reepham school. Margaret was about 11 when an…

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Interview with Richard Heath
Richard Heath remembers watching Lancaster aeroplanes flying in the skies above him from his back yard and listening to the sound of them fade into the night. One morning he could see red flares exploding in fields nearby where a Lancaster from…

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Interview with Cyril Gosling
Cyril Gosling trained as an armourer at Kirby in Blackpool and was first posted to 49 Squadron where he worked on the guns and turrets. As part of his role he would go on flights in the bombers to check the accuracy of the guns by firing at drogues.…

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Interview with Margaret Givens
Margaret Givens grew up in Coventry and witnessed the bombing of the city. She and other children sat on the bricks of the destroyed cathedral to attend a service. Her house was bombed and while she and her brother were staying with her grandmother,…

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Interview with Ken Fawcett
Ken Fawcett worked for the Post Office and served in the Home Guard for two and a half years, having signed up at 16. He joined the Royal Air Force at Lords Cricket Ground in September 1943. He initially requested pilot training but, realising the…

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Interview with Thomas Aiden Davidson
Born in Gateshead, Thomas was an apprentice railroad engineer. With the war beginning three days after his 16th birthday, Thomas feels very passionately about the British experience of the Second World War, as his only brother was killed. He claims…

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Interview with Ernest Davenport
Ernest Davenport was born in Tattenhall, Cheshire in 1923. He joined the Local Defence Volunteers in 1940 and after witnessing the bombing of Merseyside he decided to join the RAF as a pilot. He was accepted into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve…

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