GUARDING THE HOME FRONT
IT was on this day in 1940 that the Local Defence Volunteers (hardly trips of the tongue, does it?) changed its name to Home Guard and as a result, a legendary fighting force was born. But put aside thoughts of blundering Captain Mainwaring, Corporal Jones, and Private Pike for a minute. Those characters may have turned the Home Guard into a an enduring TV sitcom, but in reality the force had a deadly serious purpose as one of our last lines of defence if Hitler had ever invaded.
Operational from July 23 1940 to late 1944, when its members were stood down, the Home Guard had 1.5 million local volunteers who were otherwise ineligible for military service, such as those who were too young or too old to join the regular armed services (regular military service was restricted to those aged 18 to 41) and those in reserved occupations.
There were 15 battalions in Derbyshire, two of them in Derby itself – the 13th Derby and Borough Battalions and the 14th Derby Works Battallion – with others covering Bakewell, Buxton, Chapelen-le-Frith, Chesterfield (two), Alfreton, Ilkeston, Ashbourne, Repton, Belper and the Peak. These were subdivided into many smaller units.
The Home Guard’s role was to try to slow down the advance of the enemy. Members were also to defend key communication points and factories against possible capture.
Men aged 17 to 65 years could join, although the upper age limit was not strictly enforced. Service was unpaid, but gave a chance for older or inexperienced soldiers to support the war effort.