Home Guard Hull

[2tone]

Helllo Rena, do you have any more info on your photo, do you know approximate year was.
Tony..............

[percy porter]

This is a good site to get information on the Home Guard, well worth a visit

ALan NZ

http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DReminiscencesstaffshg.htm

[2tone]

Thans very much alan i'll have a look..
Tony

[percy porter]

You'll find me on there as well

Alan NZ

[ChrisEM]

What an interesting thread. Alan (percy porter) pointed me towards it. Just a couple of brief comments.

I tried to pull together in my HG website - thanks for the mention, Alan - the various (somewhat limited) options available to people who want to trace individual Home Guards. They are here: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/J9GeneralInformationSearchingforMembers.htm

Rena's group photograph is a nice one.  If anyone has anything like this and wants to give it further publicity within a HG website, I should be delighted to hear from them.

Finally. anyone doing HG research in East Yorkshire sounds fortunate indeed - the surviving library records seem far more comprehensive than in many areas.

Chris

[Rena]

Helllo Rena, do you have any more info on your photo, do you know approximate year was.
Tony..............

Hi Tony,
I owe you an apology.  Sorry I haven't answered your query - I just came across your request today when I was surfing for Priestman Brothers of Hull.

I'm pretty sure my dad brought this home after the war ended but unfortunately can't recall anything specific. The homeguard was officially disbanded 31st December 1945 so presumably the autumn of that year.  I do recall him once saying that film was scarce during the war as what little paper and chemicals there were had to be saved for the war effort so you couldn't buy any film for your camera.

I have some photos of my dad in 1939 and judging from his shape in the photo I'd say the picture was taken 1945.

apologies once again for my tardiness.
Rena

[ChrisEM]

Rena,

I think that your photo almost certainly dates from earlier than 1945.  Whilst the HG remained officially in existence into 1945 it effecitively disbanded at the beginning of December 1944 when it was "stood down". Groups like this would never have assembled again after that date.

Units were photographed at the time of stand-down but this particular one obviously dates from the summer months.  The most usual occasions when large numbers were photographed were the May anniversaries of the founding of the HG, in the early summer of 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.  This group could date from one of these. Experts on other forums might be able to pin it down more by detecting subtle differences in uniform; or others who recognise someone appearing who didn't join until a particular date - but otherwise I'm afraid there isn't a lot of hope of dating it precisely.

Chris

[Rena]

Thanks Chris,
That year would fit into my memory of where we were living at the time he brought it home. We moved house early in 1943 and I remember him bringing it home when we were living in our new house.  The photo itself could have been taken in any of the years you listed.

regards, Rena

[emmsthheight]

Hi All and thank you for all the fascinating replies.

I've not had chance to look at this recently, but gradually getting back to this.

By coincidence, since posting this thread I have a WW2 record for what I think is the Home guard on the end of my great uncle's WW1 records.  Some form of service at home anyway!

I'll have another look at everything.

Thank you all again.

best wishes

Emms