LDV stands for Local Defence Volunteers and was the original name of the Home Guard.
2. When was the name changed to the Home Guard?
The name was changed from 'Local Defence Volunteers' to 'Home Guard' in July 1940 on the instructions of Winston Churchill as he felt that the original name was uninspiring.
3. When was the HG formed?
On the night of 14th May 1940, Anthony Eden made his first speech as Secretary of State for War. Part of this speech was asking for volunteers for the LDV:
'We want large numbers of such men in Great Britain who are British subjects, between the ages of seventeen and sixty-five, to come forward now and offer their services in order to make assurance [that an invasion would be repelled] doubly sure. The name of the new force which is now to be raised will be the Local Defence Volunteers. This name describes its duties in three words. You will not be paid, but you will receive uniforms and will be armed. In order to volunteer, what you have to do is give your name at your local police station, and then, when we want you, we will let you know...'
4. When was the HG disbanded?
The Home Guard stand-down was on 3rd December 1944. From this date, the Home Guard became an inactive reserve unit.
The Home Guard was disbanded on 31st December 1945. From this date, the Home Guard ceased to exist.
5. How many men were in the HG?
The Government expected 150,000 men to volunteer when Anthony Eden made his broadcast on 14th May 1940. Within 24 hours of the broadcast, 250,000 men had put down their names and by the end of May 1940 the number was between 300,000 and 400,000. By the end of June, 1940 the number of volunteers was just under 1½ million. The number peaked at 1.8 million in March 1943 and never fell below 1 million until the Home Guard was disbanded.
6. Why weren't the members of the HG serving in the normal army?
Members of the Home Guard were either in reserved occupations, too young or too old to serve in the normal army.
A reserved occupation is a job which was deemed as vital to the war effort.
7. What was the age limit in the HG?
The age limit for members of the Home Guard was officially 17 to 65. This was not strictly adhered to, one example being Volunteer P.D. Willeringhaus who was awarded a 'Mention in Despatches' for his brave conduct. He was only 16 at the time.
8. Were all members volunteers?
Originally all members of the Home Guard were volunteers. In 1942 the National Service Act made it possible for compulsory enrolment to be applied in areas where units were below strength.
As the age limit for conscription into the normal army was 18 and the Home Guard was 17, in the latter half of the war conscription of 17 year olds into the Home Guard was seen as an ideal method of acclimatising youngsters into a military environment before they were called up for service in the regular army.
9. Were all members amateurs?
A large number of members of the Home Guard were amateurs, having no previous military experience. There was also a large wealth of experience within the Home Guard - in 1940 and 1941, approximately 40% of volunteers were World War One veterans.
10. Were any HG members killed during the war?
Over 1,600 members of the Home Guard were killed whilst on duty. Four of these were posthumously awarded medals.
11. Were any HG members awarded medals?
Approximately 1,000 medals and commendations were awarded to members of the Home Guard. 137 of these were awarded for brave conduct, the rest were awarded for meritorius service. Medals Page
12. I had a relative in the HG, is he entitled to any medals?
The Home Guard was part of the British Army and, as such, any member of the Home Guard has the same medal entitlement as a member of the regular army. Unfortunately as the Home Guard did not serve overseas the only medal which they were definitely entitled to was the Defence Medal.
The qualifying period for the Defence Medal for members of the Home Guard, was three years (1080 days) service between 14th May, 1940 and 31st December, 1944 (when the Home Guard was stood down).
A special award of the Medal was made to personnel whose service was terminated before three years by death or wounds due to enemy action whilst on duty, or who were awarded an honour, decoration or King's Commendation. The Medal was not issued automatically and award depended upon a claim by an individual.
The Service Personnel & Veterans Agency website has a page with contact addresses for service histories and medal applications.
13. I had a relative in the HG, can I get a copy of his service history?
Service records can be obtained from the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency by former members of the Home Guard or their next of kin. As the Home Guard formed part of the British Army, service records are held along with all other Army records. When making an enquiry, you need to state "Home Guard" where it asks for Regiment or Corps.
Army service records from WWII are not yet publicly available so this website has no access to them and any enquiries regarding service records of relatives need to made directly with the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency.
14. Were the HG part of the normal army?
15. Did the HG have the same organisational structure as the normal army?
Although the Home Guard had sections, platoons, companies and battalions, they were organised differently from the regular army. In the regular army sections, platoons, companies and battalions are formed on a number basis so that when you compare the size of companies in different infantry battalions, normally they would be about the same.
Home Guard battalions were formed on an area basis, normally covering towns or districts. This meant that a battalion in one town could be four or five times larger than the battalion in a neighbouring town. Within each battalion, again platoons and even companies were formed on an area basis, covering specific parts of towns or districts.
16. Did the HG have the same rank structure as the normal army?
When the Home Guard was first formed it had its' own rank structure. As a unit of 'volunteers' it was felt that there should be a system of 'appointed' ranks and 'officers' did not hold Kings' Commissions. The ranks were as follows:
