Tyneside's Home Guard Units: An Able Body of Men?

Abstract

The Home Guard developed into an adaptable force that was capable of a variety of important tasks, but the public perception of the force remains that of ‘Dad's Army’—bumbling old men re-living their youth, self-important Colonel Blimps, shirkers, spivs and incompetents. Tyneside's Home Guard units were, by contrast, professional and highly efficient, serving in a wide variety of capacities and manning new, sometimes experimental, equipment. One of the region's battalions was even awarded the distinction of broadcasting its methods on the BBC. This article seeks to explore the development of the Home Guard on Tyneside, analyse the effectiveness of the force and consider the relationships that the Home Guard had with the local community.

Keywords:

• Home Guard
• Tyneside
• Northumberland
• Second World War
• Home Front

Notes

  [1] Fraser, The Hollywood History of the World, 232.

  [2] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 48.

  [3] Smith, Britain and 1940 history, myth and popular memory, 48–49, 58–61, 84.

  [4] Angus Calder, The People's War, 121–8, 151–2, 156, 200, 215, 268–9, 322, 340–45, and 563–4.

  [5] See, MacKenzie, The Home Guard and Carroll, Dad's Army.

  [6] Mackay, Half the Battle, 259–60.

  [7] Rose, Which People's War? 151–97.

  [8] Yelton, ‘British Public Opinion, the Home Guard, and the Defense of Great Britain, 462–3.

  [9] Yelton, ‘British Public Opinion, the Home Guard, and the Defense of Great Britain, 462.

 [10] See Longmate, The Real Dad's Army.

 [11] Yelton, ‘British Public Opinion’, 462.

 [12] National Archives [NA]: WO 193/20. Suggestions for formation of irregular units and Home Guard, 1939–1942.

 [13] Calder, The People's War, 127. Also, see MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 57–61.

 [14] The Shields Evening News, 4 December 1944.

 [15] NA: WO 190/879 appendix A (MI3 minute), 1 November 1939.

 [16] NA: WO 193/20. Suggestions for formation of irregular units and Home Guard, 1939–1942.

 [17] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 19.

 [18] NA: INF 1/264. Public Opinion on the Present Crisis, 30 May 1940.

 [19] Eden, Freedom and Order, 71–73.

 [20] A century after this the Home Secretary of the time, Henry Dundas, found himself bombarded with applications from ordinary subjects, mostly on the South coast, demanding the right to form local defence forces to protect against any attempted French landing. The volunteers also stated concerns about any Jacobin-inspired subversion from within the country as a principle motive for the formation of the volunteer forces. During the early years of the Napoleonic conflict volunteers were raised officially and with high levels of enthusiasm, by early 1804 the number of volunteers stood at around 350,000 men. The official enthusiasm for these volunteer units faded after the initial concerns about French invasion had waned. Public and official confidence in such forces was further eroded due to the part played by the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry during the Peterloo massacre of 1819. This lack of confidence is reflected by the fact that during the Chartist protests of the 1840s demands, from certain wealthy sections of society, for the re-formation of volunteer bands were ignored by the Home Office as it concluded that the associated risks were by far greater than any benefits that could be gained from such a move. During World War I public anxiety regarding a possible attempt by German forces to land on the East coast of England, exploiting the absence in France of the British Expeditionary Force, led to demands for a voluntary military force to be raised. This call was quickly taken up by various national and local figures, including the authors H. G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. Letters appeared in various national papers in support of this argument as early as two days into the war. Despite official opposition from the War Office, and Lord Kitchener in particular, the Volunteer Training Corps was acknowledged in November 1914. Any male who was ineligible for enrolment in either the Regular or Territorial Army could enrol in the VTC. There was no provision of clothing, arms or equipment, and service was entirely voluntary at this stage. 1916 saw more official recognition of the contribution of the VTC; uniforms were doled out and an Act put through parliament ensured that service in the VTC was for the duration of the war. Despite this, by 1918 public enthusiasm had waned considerably and the end of the war saw the beginning of the end for the VTC although official disbandment of the organisation did not come into effect until 1920.

 [21] TWAS: AF.MIL / Acc 564. Militia Muster Rolls, 1803–1808.

 [22] TWAS: AF.MIL / Acc 564. Militia Muster Rolls, 1803–1808

 [23] Wiltshire & Swindon Records Office [WSRO]: 2057/F8/V. Papers of Sidney Herbert, 1^st Baron Herbert of Lea. Letter from Lord Grey to Sidney Herbert relative to the need for practice ammunition for the Tynemouth Volunteer Artillery Corps, and expressing an interest in forming volunteer companies, 27 November 1859.

 [24] Gooch, The Desperate Faction? 69–79.

 [25] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 11.

 [26] For a fuller description of the voluntary military formations of the First World War see, Mitchinson, Defending Albion.

 [27] See Beckett, The Amateur Military Tradition.

 [28] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 34.

 [29] NA: HO 45/18523. Formation of Local Defence Volunteers: applications, relations with police and defence against parachutists, 1940.

 [30] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3.

 [31] The Times, 15 May 1940, 6.

 [32] The Shields Evening News, 15^th November 1944, 3.

 [33] See Craig Armstrong, ‘Tyneside 1939–1945’, 25–51.

 [34] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 68–86.

 [35] Craig Armstrong, ‘Wartime Industrial Action on the Tyne, 1939–1945’, 50–78.

 [36] Tyne & Wear Archives Service [TWAS]: PA/NC/5/35, Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files re: Home Guard 1940–1942. Letter from Mr W. T. Rainbow (Deputy Divisional Food Officer) to F. J. Crawley (Chief Constable and ARP Controller), 15 May 1940.

 [37] TWAS: 1061/1470–1472. LDV, Redheads Shipyard. Enrolment forms, name lists, ID cards, etc.

 [38] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, letter from the Lieutenant Colonel (Secretary), 6 August 1940.

 [39] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files re: Home Guard 1940–1942. Official list of works with established Home Guard units, 6 September 1940.

 [40] The Shields Evening News, 12 December 1944, 3.

 [41] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files re: Home Guard 1940–1942. Memo from Chief Constable, 6 September 1940.

 [42] Rose, Which People's War, 168–9.

 [43] Rose, Which People's War 181–2.

 [44] Summerfield & Peniston-Bird, ‘Women in the Firing Line’, 231.

 [45] Summerfield & Peniston-Bird, ‘Women in the Firing Line’ 232.

 [46] Summerfield & Peniston-Bird, ‘Women in the Firing Line’, 232

 [47] The Shields Evening News, 21 December 1944, 3.

 [48] The Shields Evening News, 4 December 1944.

 [49] The Shields Evening News, 4 December 1944

 [50] For the political debate on the subject see, Summerfield & Peniston-Bird, ‘Women in the Firing Line’, 233–8.

 [51] For the political debate on the subject see, Summerfield & Peniston-Bird, ‘Women in the Firing Line’, 233–8

 [52] Hansard, v 338, col 1532, oral answers, J. Grigg, 20 April 1943, quoted in ibid.

 [53] DeGroot, ‘I Love the Smell of Cordite in Your Hair’, 73–92.

 [54] Rose, Which People's War, 178–96.

 [55] Rose, Which People's War, 179–80.

 [56] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 36–40.

 [57] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3.

 [58] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3

 [59] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3

 [60] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, exchange of memos from Colonel G. F. Bell and Chief Constable Crawley, 19 June 1940–11 August 1940.

 [61] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 71–81.

 [62] NA: WO 339/25487. Service record of Captain (Q.M.) G. F. Bell, 1896–1920.

 [63] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3.

 [64] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, letter from Lord Allendale to Chief Constable Crawley (ARP Controller), 18 May 1940.

 [65] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944.

 [66] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, Secret document from LDV Group Commander (Newcastle) to Chief Constable, 8 June 1940.

 [67] Mackay, The Test of War, 116.

 [68] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944.

 [69] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, Memo from W. R. Wingfield (Regional Police Staff Officer) to Chief Constables, 11 June 1940.

 [70] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944.

 [71] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944

 [72] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, Memo to the Chief Constable from LDV Group Commander (Newcastle), 19 June 1940.

 [73] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945 Memo and newspaper report regarding the storing of shotguns at West End Police Station, 11 August 1940.

 [74] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945 Reply to above letter, 30 August 1940.

 [75] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 40.

 [76] MacKenzie, The Home Guard 70–71.

 [77] The Shields Evening News, 21 December 1944, 3.

 [78] The Shields Evening News, 28 December 1944, 6.

 [79] The Shields Evening News, 5 December 1944, 6.

 [80] The Shields Evening News, 5 December 1944, 6

 [81] The Shields Evening News, 5 December 1944, 6

 [82] The Shields Evening News, 5 December 1944, 6

 [83] The Shields Evening News, 28 November 1944, 3.

 [84] The Shields Evening News 28 December 1944, 6.

 [85] The Shields Evening News 10 January 1945, 3.

 [86] The Shields Evening News 15 November 1944, 3.

 [87] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 41. Also, NA: WO 199/3243. History of the Formation and Organisation of the Home Guard.

 [88] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 41. Also, NA: WO 199/3243. History of the Formation and Organisation of the Home Guard

 [89] The Shields Evening News, 30 December 1944, 10 January 1945, and 12 January 1945.

 [90] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, Official report on Home Guard traffic control training by Inspector J. H. Brown of Newcastle City Police, 18 August 1942.

 [91] Yelton, ‘British Public Opinion’, 475.

 [92] The Shields Evening News, 21 November 1944, 3.

 [93] The Shields Evening News, 15 November 1944, 3.

 [94] NA: LAB 8/112–113. Home Guard – Compulsory enrolments, 1942.

 [95] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945, Memo from Adjutant of 11^th Btn. Home Guard to the Chief Constable, 13 April 1942.

 [96] For a fuller definition of the myths surrounding the blitz spirit see Calder, The Myth of the Blitz or Smith, Britain and 1940, 70–90.

 [97] Calder, The People's War, 74.

 [98] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35. Newcastle upon Tyne City Police Wartime Files: re Home Guard 1940–1945. Official list of works with established Home Guard units and warning to police officers re: caution to be taken when inspecting these premises, September 1940.

[99] TWAS: PA/NC/5/35 Special Police Report by Sergeant J. W. Ingoe (‘B’ Division) on the Home Guard road closure exercise of 6 April 1941.

[100] MacKenzie, The Home Guard, 2–3.

[101] The Shields Evening News, 4 December 1944.

[102] The Shields Evening News, 4 December 1944

[103] The Shields Evening News, 21 November 1944, 3.

[104] Rose, Which People's War, 168–9.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Craig Armstrong

Craig Armstrong is a Contract Lecturer at Newcastle University