Home Guard Cap Badges

[FAHR451]

Sorry , but I have never seen  Foyles War ! I research as much as possibly from primary sources on military from the 17th C to WW2 from public records ,living memory or MOD issue documents . I am particularly interested in the Auxiliary Units of the Home Guard , Secret Sweeties and Aux Coastguard . I make my own uniforms from original patterns in moth eaten condition  ( which I carefully take apart )in '37 , '40 and '44 pattern utility , and have produced leatherwork from 1903 and 1908 pattern items mainly from MOD pattern office drawings or patents, sometimes photos are a very good source as the one shown and items collected of course. The Kakhi Web on the net is also a reliable source .
A quick look through the photo posted shows some chaps issued with '37 pattern kit , others in 1908 . The general rule here is that the Aux units were issued with '37 pattern kit , occasionally turned up for parade and photo shoots as most of their work was done at night . There are photos of Aux Units on patrol with pistols and revolvers stuffed in their belts carrying Thompsons and knives looking very smug and very scruffy ! In photo shoots like this they would not be carrying pistols or issue commando knives , but were known to be a cocky bunch and liked to distinguish themselves on such occasions by wearing the canvas belts and gaiters .They also had different divisional number patches under their county/division patch depending on area . For instance under the standard Home Guard shoulder title ,mine is ESX over 202 over my Sgt stripes , which means Patrol Leader , Essex Aux Unit 202 (North of Thames) when not wearing my epaulette sliders ! One Home Guard issue document refers to' those not issued rubber soled boots ' when making stud silencers from sack cloth and tar for creeping about .The Aux units were known to have been issued rubber soled boots like other commando and some para units, so do I . I often lecture or reenact a Platoon Leader (Sgt) of the Aux units and demonstrate use of detonators ,explosives , use of the issue knife etc and have had to produce my own kit because of my 44" chest and 32" waist . The originals are just not available in this size ! I was lucky to be given a genuine 44 utility pattern blouse that fitted me (like the 40 pattern but with no pocket pleats)  which had been altered into a 49 pattern , which I immediately restored and is now badged up as 30 Advance Unit which my dad served with .
Uniforms were also manufactured at this time in the US and often carried 'USA' stamps inside and a British size patch marked SRD (Salvage and Repair Department)  because some fittings had to be changed on arrival before issue .These were better made and cut with slightly larger pockets and more substantial collars and of higher quality material and were much sought after .They can be recognised by the size patch of the slightly greener shade of khaki that some say are Canadian or even Greek post war repatched , but were in general issue early on. So if you see TV programmes or whatever that include brownish kakhi , greenish kakhi and a mish mash of rank stripes , some cap badges , no cap badges , some with 37 pattern kit Thompson's and or Stens , Ross or P17 rifles (or even silenced sniper rifles) and other uniforms and badges etc., I have mentioned before , then you can identify the units they belong to and the period and district they are supposed to be acting out! Brophys book is a good one for this and the artwork is great for a contemporary publication of the Home Guard .
The absence of cap badges always gives an approximate date when the unit was formed too and these guys look very smart having received their new kit early on .
I have just seen a similar posed photo which was taken outside Braintree Registry office , some with some without cap badges so a little later than this .Approximately 50+ guys an Officer and a WO1 wearing what we would call a No 1/2 dress cap .It was odd because there were 4 sergeants sitting in the front row . Too many sergeants for such a small number of chaps , so after a little bit of digging I discovered a newspaper article that reported a parade competition between 4 Home Guard Platoons from surrounding villages which was judged by Officers at that time . Problem solved as almost immediately afterwards the 4 village platoons were absorbed as Coys  of the Braintree 11th HG.
The British actor Anthony Quayle (Ice Cold in Alex etc) was a CO in the HG Aux Units , but for some strange reason he seemed to play the role of a German officer in his war films ! I also believe that David Croft (of Croft and Perry -Dads Army mentioned in an earlier posting)  had a brother who was a Captain in the Aux Units when they were originally trained at Earls Colne in Essex .He appears to have been a recruiting officer , sworn to secrecy and having signed the Official Secrets Act I wonder if his brother knew this ?

[Regorian]

That's very interesting Fahr451, we had his (silk?) shirt, his forage cap, a small revolver and a Wilkinson Sword commando knife post war. Also pips and buttons, I still have them somewhere.   

[FAHR451]

Very interesting . Revolver probably a Colt or Smith and Wesson Police Service type in .38 , shipped in from the US , the classic issue F-S commando knife by WS came in several flavours, knurled grip or turned grip with wavy quillon probably brown sheath snap fastener . I have an issue one and one custom made for an officer with a leather grip ! The silk shirt definitely shows his flamboyance , probably Aux unit. They were also issued with a rubber truncheon approx 14" x 1 1/4" diameter (I have an issue pouch but I think the truncheons were probably snapped up by the Teddy boys post war) but these are almost impossible to find .I was told they had one in Brighton Museum but I have had no response from them on the subject . They were also issued with various manuals that appeared to look like tradesman Calendars and Seed Catalogues under the title Hainsworths .Something easily overlooked and thrown away , but these contained instructions on using demolition equipment and explosives etc., and are very rare also .If you still have equipment or kit belonging to him then be careful of things that look like small metal tape measures as these could be tyre mines , metal pen shaped objects of copper and brass as these contain ampules of acid , in fact anything out of the ordinary could be quite dangerous .My son dug up a cache of ammo last year near where I have located a possible operating base . Nothing later than 1942 including 9mm ,.303 and US export stamped 30-06 . It was concealed so well some of it looked almost as issued !Took me hours to deactivate it all ! These sorts of things turn up all the time in attics ,old sheds garages and church/ village halls etc . If you find something that could be dangerous contact your local military museum, before the police as they will destroy it . The museum will almost always have someone on hand to make it safe so it can be displayed or returned if of sentimental value .
If you look up the British Resistance Organisation at Parham Museum in Suffolk they are building a data base on these forgotten heroes and his name may be on it .
I am working on locating their secret bunkers called OBs, in my area and have found possibly 9, some in total ruin or blown up by the Royal Engineers ! Some buried and inaccessible .

[Regorian]

The only other item I had was his swagger stick. When the leather dried out and the stitching started to come apart, I got rid of it. My father was an industrial chemist, probably 1 or 2 i/c ICI Paints Division Laboratory. He wouldn't have kept anything dangerous, except for the dagger, the revolver was in a gunged up state and incapable of being restored to working order. My brother disposed of them 30 years ago or more.

My father formulated camouflage schemes for RAF aircraft amongst other things. Post war he was probably responsible for Dulux County Cream and Buckingham Green . I guess they were for the guarding of the factory.

I have the names and ranks of all the men shown. 

 

[FAHR451]

That's a shame when items like this are disposed of . A firearm can be classified as ' deactivated by other means' e.g. damaged or corroded beyond repair as are those we recover from wrecked aircraft from the Thames estuary and North Sea . So you could have kept the revolver legally  by simply halting the corrosion process . The knife is very valuable and we have a good collection of variants at our museum .Dried leather is a problem so I have come up with a mixture to repair dry decomposing leather which contains beef gelatine amongst other things .An OiC or 2iC at ICI a very important gentleman undeed ! An industrial chemist perhaps ?What secrets he would have carried ,what a responsibility too ! He probably kept most of what he did close to his chest .
Many Aux Units operated as part of industrial complexes . We had one in the town where I live that operated inside a shore based Naval Station repair yard without the knowledge of the Royal Navy !How shrewd is that!
As you know ICI has never produced just paint , but also explosives , chemical warfare agents and other chemicals used in the manufacture of fuels and synthesis of lubricating oils and materials like rubber and Perspex for aircraft screens. They also worked with Cortaulds to produce synthetic fabrics and the shirt may be an example of this collaboration to produce silk like fabrics although silk was produced near the Cortaulds factory in Essex and blends were used in making parachutes of course . I believe they had a large plant on the Tees that dealt with this type of development of chemicals of strategic use ,whilst the Scottish plant incorporated Nobel (one of the 4 original companies that formed ICI) to produce and develop explosives (like 808 plastic explosive used by HG Aux Units in large quantities) , small arms and rocket propellants .They were constantly targeted by bombing raids . ICI became an industrial giant after the war because of its contribution to the defence of this nation and its importance during the Cold War .ICI was sold off in the 2000s to a holding company to become Akzo Nobel , they still produce special paints and explosives under that name , so his legacy lives on !

[Regorian]

My father came into ICI from Nobel. I think ICI Ltd was formed about 1929, the same timeframe as the German IG Farben AG. Both industrial chemical giants. ICI died from lack of profitability and new ideas (Harvey Jones did the last rites). IG Farben was broken up after the war due to the Auschwitz connection. Bayer Pharmaceutical still exists.

I wish I still had the WS knife, it was in very good condition and must be worth a bob or two now. 

 

[FAHR451]

You are right 1928-29 and he came from Nobel's !
During this nations darkest days he dedicated all of his available hours to seeing this country survive . His skills produced the vital elements to not only stop the advance of both Nazi Germany and Japan but eventually to defeat them .Because of his work and others like him this country was streets ahead of the US and more than a match for whatever both Nazi Germany and Japan could drop or fire to achieve destruction of its target . ICI Nobel gave vital expertise to the US to develop effective munitions .
The ability to beat oppressors is not only in the hands of the servicemen who deliver the munitions to the enemy but to those heroes providing the expertise selfishly to get the job done . History has the tendency to forget such people to whom we owe a great debt because of the tendency to glamorise and glorify the final act .
War is a really evil and often unnecessary act as those we have witnessed in the last few decades , and nothing glamorous about it all .
You must ensure that whatever you recall from discussions with him and his records at work and with the HG is documented as accurately as possible as I am sure it would be of great interest to the British Resistance Organisation Museum at Parham Suffolk , for future generations to research before it is lost in time . They are building a database of members of the HG and Aux Units but I would be very surprised if they have any information like this ! The smallest piece of information ,the minutiae of world events, which are easily lost help to build the bigger picture and history is only as good as the historian and his ability to research .It's surprising how many questions I am asked on my research that seem insignificant to some that I can't answer . You have perhaps unknowingly ,filled in another missing piece of the jigsaw ! I now know who was a member of ICI Nobel who was responsible for producing the very explosive and mainstay of the Aux Unit " Unit Charge" .
With this sort of provenance I wouldn't and don't like to value such items as Knives but yes a museum piece of great value in many ways . I would love to own simple things perhaps even more valuable like the wrappers for Nobel's 808 plastic explosive ,and others that they made . I have reproduced them as best I could from photos but to have an original .......! I'd love to have the old recipe for 808 for historical records-so would Parham !
Oh by the way , I used to use Nobel's pistol and rifle powders for reloading back in the 80s when an active young enthusiast when most others were using the cheaper imported US stuff developed from their recipes by Dupont , Hercules etc ! Very accurate , consistent and clean stuff so my thanks again !
I,d like his full name and if you contact the MOD they will confirm his rank and give a little more detail for my work if you are happy with this . I can't do this because he has living relatives .If you can do this and post the information , I am sure it would be of great interest to others and I can include his details in my demonstrations and lectures on these forgotten heroes , and when ready, in my book which I am hoping will do justice in accuracy and detail to all those concerned .I have recruited another friend from our museum who shares my interest and will help with the task and I am working alongside a member of our town museum too , as I am a little less than mobile at present so he is doing the footwork with my son who will carry on the work . This is probably the most difficult subject of WW2 to research because of the secrecy taken to the grave by many members . Because of this even newer publications than Lamps original ,' The Last Ditch', have glaring mistakes ,probably taken from unproven or tertiary sources , Chinese whispers and ' I know someone that knew someone etc' or poor interpretation of primary source material .
You may not be aware that he is entitled to a medal for his service and once you receive his records from the MOD you can then follow the information given by them to obtain his medal, if he also turns up in the Aux Unit records (and of this I have no doubt)  there is a second device he is entitled to , both of which you can wear in memory during commemorative parades or just proudly keep and pass on as a family heirloom .You can do all this on line .
You must be very proud as I am pleased to have learned of this great gentleman !Thanks for your response and any information you can give in the future .
Malcolm

[Regorian]

Hello again Malcolm. Here's the names of the men in the photograph plus the card issued on standing down of the Home Guard on 31st December 1944.

To them, it seems to have been just a continuation or add on to their daily worklives. My father never initiated any discussion about what he did in the War. If I asked, he would answer. It was my mother who alerted me to things like 'he had patents you know'. She told me that possibly 50 years ago, but I have a long memory. It was only about 2 years ago I put his name in the search engine and details of the 2 patents came up.

He also represented ICI with another man on Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SOBAC). Got a photograph of their last dinner held in a London hotel.

He knew Doctor Barnes Wallace. He was involved in cocooning of deck cargoes carrying war supplies to Russia. Ministry of Supply? wanted him to go on one convoy to test the efficacy of cocooning. ICI knocked that idea on the head.     

   

[FAHR451]

Wow !
A personal thank you from Maj Gen Sir Fred Pile . He was in charge of the whole AA defences of Britain by 1944 !
There is something more than meets the eye here .In the photo he was 2nd Lt , which having special skills and qualifications it is not unusual to receive a CO rank without any military training immediately . But by 44 he received a personal thank you to him and his platoon by one of the most important figures in the WD at the time ! I somehow don't think this demob photo tells the whole story . It's unlikely he ended up a 2nd Lt by 44 and was clearly on special duties of some kind with his platoon and of great value to his company and the WD from the Russian assignment . It is possible that the work he was doing may still be classified as 'sensitive' or even higher even after this period of time and may have a 75 or 100 year term stamped on it (it depends on the MOD then whether they can release it or not !They wouldn't give me some info on a Browning Pistol I own (deactivated) although 70 + years old , because it was still considered sensitive and innservice !
An acquaintance of Barnes Wallis .Its strange in another thread about aircraft identification the person didnt realise the Wellington was designed by him  (amongst other notable devices of course ).
Interesting piece on Russian supplies , again probably a cover for completely different aid to the Russians !
It is not unknown that members of the Home Guard ran special missions like the German officer prisoner snatch on Sark made up of regular and HG commandos ! And here is another example of HG not exactly working at the home front ! I would have thought your Dad was more than willing to go but looks like the company had the final word!
The Russian run by air or sea was almost suicidal !
The normal channels for me are blocked on this one .The only way to find out what he was actually doing until 1944 is by you contacting the MOD directly and even then you may not get the full picture, but odd words like 'work of special importance' or 'sensitive nature ', but they will clarify his final rank on demob and other useful info . Did Mum ever say he was away for any length of time as he was not likely to disclose anything unless he really had to ! ? Fairly typical of such true patriots and such things caused many a failed marriage as you can imagine .I am pleased it worked out OK for your parents .
I'll see if I can find his patents as I have a name , approximate date and material as there may be more clues there.
Thanks for the names, I'll try and trace the records of some of his fellow officers/ rank and file to see if any are listed on other duties that may not be of a 'sensitive nature ' and without the associations your Dad had ,that may give a clue also ! His name pencilled in the top left hand corner means others of the same rank received same and were distributed accordingly but you have words like ' original' in the description , suggests they were divided to carry out separate assignments .You would not expect someone developing paint technology to get a citation from AA Command !
This may take a while so bear with me .

Malcolm