Home Guard Pamphlets

Comprises home guard pamphlets, 1941-1943:

• What to do in any war time emergency: contains advice and information concerning air raid precautions, first aid etc., 1941 (bears the handwritten name Billy Hughes)
• A Home Guard drill book and field service manualby John Brophy, contains information on the use and abuse of drill, 1941
• Home Guard Instruction no. 51, Battle Craft and Battle Drill for the Home Guard (Part II Battle Drill): contains information on preparing for battle drill, and use of live ammunition etc., 1942
• More sand table exercises by Lt. Col. A.W. Valentine. Includes information on construction and tactical use of sand models, training in field craft etc., 1942
• Notes on umpiring exercises by the Home Guard, 1942
• The Three Inch O.S.B. Gun (Smith Gun): a booklet about this gun, containing information on the standard of training for use etc., 1942
• Building and modelling sand tables by Sgt. Major T.W. Sloman, 1943
• Regulations for the Home Guard 1942 Volume II: Book containing all the regulations for the Home Guard - clothing, equipment stores, feeding, travelling, transport etc., 1943

The Home Guard was formed in May 1940 after the Secretary of State for War, Anthony Eden, made a speech asking for volunteers. Within 24 hours of the speech being broadcast 250,000 men had signed up, which rose to 1.8 million by March 1943. The organisation was originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers, but the name was changed in July 1940 as it was felt that it was not sufficiently inspirational. Members of the Home Guard were either in reserved occupations, deemed essential to the war effort or too young or old to serve in the normal army, but the official age limit of 17 to 65 was not always strictly enforced. The Home Guard was disbanded in December 1945.

This section was compiled using information provided on the Home Guard web site http://www.home-guard.org.uk.

Material is arranged in chronological order and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts .

Open to all users

Description compiled by Anne Lenaghan, May 2002.

Item level word-processed list is available at the Archives Department, University of Wales, Bangor. Reference numbers: General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts: 37791-37798

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.