Berkshire, England, World War II Home Guard Records, 1943-1958

General collection information

This collection contains meeting minutes, civil defence certificates, and other records of the Home Guard produced in Berkshire, England, during the Second World War and subsequent years. The collection includes images of the original documents, which are in various formats with both typed and handwritten information.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

This collection could be used to verify your ancestor's involvement with the Home Guard in Berkshire. Your ancestor's military rank and unit may lead to more details of their experiences during the war.

Collection in context

The records in this collection were created by government and military officials in Berkshire during the war.

On 14 May, 1940, the British government created the Local Defence Volunteers, which later became known as the Home Guard and was unofficially called the "Dad's Army", due to the make up of its ranks. Within two months of its establishment, 1.5 million men and boys had enlisted in the Home Guard. The volunteer force was open to males aged 17 to 65 and many of those who enlisted were too old or physically unable to join the armed forces.

Home Guard volunteers continued to work their jobs and live with their families. In their spare time, they participated in drills to prepare for a German invasion of England and they helped to guard England's coasts by manning anti-aircraft and coastal artillery, and by organising motor boat patrols of the nation's waterways. The Home Guard also provided military training to teenage boys before they were old enough to enlist or be drafted into the armed forces.

By the end of 1944, the threat of a German invasion had subsided and the Home Guard officially stood down on 3 December that year, before being fully disbanded at the end of 1945. About 1,200 Home Guard members lost their lives during its four years in operation, mostly due to injuries sustained in air raids.

Bibliography

Imperial War Museums. "The Real 'Dad's Army." Accessed 3 November, 2022. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-real-dads-army.

The Berkshire Record Office. "Home." Accessed 3 November, 2022. https://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/.

---. "World War Two." Accessed 3 November, 2022. https://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/berkshires-past/world-war-2.

---. "World War Two Guide." Accessed 3 November, 2022. https://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/berkshires-past/world-war-2/world-war-two-guide.