Oral History collection: Alexander Imlach (born Newport, Monmouthshire, 1923) interviewed by Peter Hall. DVD entitled “An interview with Alexander Imlach - Swansea Home Guard”. Alexander Imlach was a young man working for Redifusion Swansea at the outbreak of the Second World War. As a group of workers the Redifusion staff joined the Swansea Home Guard. This interview with Alex will give you a brief insight into the Swansea Home Guard at that time.

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 216 D/D Z 717/23
  • Dates of Creation
      2011
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      1 dvd

Scope and Content

[00:00:01] Home Guard: Joined Home Guard 1940, Rediffusion employee, on LDV formation. [00:00:22] Home Guard: Joined en bloc, c 20 from work. [00:00:48] Home Guard: Central Hall (now Orchard Street NCP). [00:01:10] Home Guard: Joining procedure, weaponry (Ross rifles, .303 calibre) [See DD Z 717-20, 36m 31s, for different account of Ross calibre]. [00:01:57] Home Guard: Firing range at Hendrefoilan Woods. [00:02:17] Home Guard: Training. [00:03:06] Royal Artillery: AA rocket projectiles, Home Guard trained to use them. [00:03:25] Royal Artillery: Operated Coastal Artillery by lighthouse, Home Guard relief. [00:03:47] Home Guard: Summer 1942 exercise, attack on RAF Fairwood, defended by Black Watch. [00:05:27] Home Guard: Dunvant Station, defence, breakfast theft. [00:06:00] Utilities: Steel water pipes, post-Blitz, used for communications (morse code). [00:06:57] Home Guard: Central Hall bombed, moved to Christ Church, near prison, then to St Helen's ground. [00:07:24] Blitz: Radio Receiving station, Cockett. [00:07:43] Radio: Rediffusion network, Swansea, A & B programmes. [00:08:29] Radio: Rediffusion network, via wires, used for warnings, etc. [00:09:38] REME: Recovery Unit