Trying to find WW2 Home Guard Gloucestershire records

[wecanbeheroes]

Can anyone suggest where I can look [preferably online] for WW2 Home Guard Gloucestershire records?

My maternal Grandfather Henry Grosvenor Moorcroft was in the Home Guard - Gloucestershire regiment but I have no idea which battalion. Would his uniform give any clues as to his battalion? I've added a small photo below just in case. He was living in Bristol during WW2 if that helps.

My Mum remembers him having to go to Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain, but I don't know how often this was.

Henry was [apparently] a WW1 veteran, the story goes that he'd lied about his age, added a few years on and enlisted. He was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, 1899, so I'm guessing it must have been the latter stages of WW1 when he signed up.

I've looked on Ancestry and have found some WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards under the name of Henry Moorcroft - but how can I find out if one of these Henry Moorcrofts is my GF?

[themonsstar]

There were 19 battalions of Home Guard units in the Gloucestershire area in the Second World War.

1st Bn Cheltenham.
2nd Bn Campden.
3nd Bn Cirencester.
4th Bn Forest of Dean & Lydney.
5th Bn Gloucester.
6th Bn South Gloucester & Chipping Sodbury.
7th Bn Stroud.
8th Bn Dursley.
9th Bn City of Bristol.
10th Bn City of Bristol.
11th Bn City of Bristol.
12th Bn City of Bristol.
13th Bn City of Bristol.
14th Bn City of Bristol.
15th Bn 31st (Gen Post Office (GPO) Bristol.
16th Bn City of Bristol.
17th Bn Wye Valley & Coleford.
18th Bn City of Bristol.
19th Bn Churchdown.

I'm not sure who holds the service records for the home guard, however you could try the veterans agency

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html


His service record if you do find it will tell you which units he served with and when.

If you are going to look on Ancestry make sure you put his full name when you are looking for him, I would try looking at 1911 census first.

Best of luck with your research

[nanny jan]

Hi,

I think this is the address my dad contacted to get a copy of his record with the Home Guard:



 TNT Archive Service, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0BB



Nanny Jan

[ChrisEM]

wecanbeheroes,

County/Battalion no. will normally shown on a square khaki patch worn at the top of the sleeve just below the "Home Guard" insignia at the shoulder. Trouble is, one needs a side view to be able to see it! Apart from that there is normally little or nothing about the rest of the uniform which helps to identify individual units.

There are a few guidelines concerning the (difficult) task of tracing individual Home Guards here: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/J9GeneralInformationSearchingforMembers.htm

If you make progress it would be interesting if you could report back here in due course.

Chris

[size=07pt]The story of a typical Home Guard Battalion (and of many more) 1940-44: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/[/size]

[andycand]

Hi

The link below has information about researching the Home Guard

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/homeguard.htm?WT.lp=rg-3144

Andy