Exploring records for researching WWII Home Guard ancestors
On the 80th anniversary that the Home Guard received its ‘stand down’ orders in the latter stages of WWII, we explore how to research your Home Guard ancestors.
The forming of the Home Guard and its role
The Home Guard was formed in May 1940 in the wake of German successes on the Continent: the British Army had been left weakened, and the threat of invasion was a terrifying prospect for the island nation. The unit, whose primary function was to provide home defence should an invasion come, was initially known as the Local Defence Volunteers but, within months, became the Home Guard.
FWR Tip: Interested in researching your WWII armed forces ancestors? Our blog has you covered.
The Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden broadcast a request for volunteers on 14 May 1940, and within a week, 250,000 volunteers had come forward for service. Enrollment was open to 17-65 year olds, although there were inevitably exceptions on either side of this. Those in reserved occupations, medically unfit for service with the armed forces or too young or old for service, were drawn to the Home Guard, allowing them to ‘do their bit’. Battalions were usually established on an area basis around towns and districts. They took on work such as operating anti-aircraft guns, manned searchlights and roadblocks, protected the coastline, and carried out bomb disposal.
FWR Fact: Spanish Civil War veteran Tom Wintringham established a Home Guard training school at Osterley Park in July 1940, teaching guerilla war tactics, amongst other skills, before the army took it over.
In 1942, the National Service Act meant that men could be conscripted into the Home Guard in locations where numbers were low. During the war, the Home Guard could count 1.7 million amongst its ranks at its height. Perhaps this includes one of your Home Guard ancestors.
The Home Guard was stood down on 3 December 1944 with the threat of invasion deemed to have passed. Home Guard personnel carried out many acts of bravery, and 1,206 members of the Home Guard lost their lives in the line of duty during WWII.
What records are available for researching Home Guard ancestors?
Service records are a key source for researching military ancestors. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds Home Guard service records; these are a vital source for researching Home Guard ancestors and could help you learn more about their service with the unit during WWII. You can apply for Home Guard service records via the MOD website.
Forces War Records
We have a diverse collection of records available to help you research your Home Guard ancestors:
Home Guard Officer Lists, 1939-1945
Home Guard ranks developed over time but eventually reflected the rank structure of the British Army, including that of officers. This collection is a nominal roll of officers who served with the Home Guard during WWII. If your Home Guard ancestors were officers, you may discover their address, who they served with, dates of service, rank and duty location. These are useful clues to help you research your ancestor’s service in other collections, too.
Wiltshire Home Guard – Warminster Battalions, 1942-1944
Transcribed from records held at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, this collection contains a nominal list of men from Westbury, Wiltshire (and surrounding villages) who signed up to the Home Guard during WWII.
Records of Home Guard Auxiliary Units, 1939-1945
The secretive Home Guard Auxiliary Units are a fascinating organisation known as ‘Churchill’s secret weapon.’ The specially trained units would be deployed in the event of an invasion, but in reality, the name ‘Home Guard’ was a cover to protect the members of the highly trained specialist unit who were not connected to the local Home Guard units. Entries in this collection offer useful clues to help you research your ancestor, such as: name, address, rank, National Registration number, area and unit.
Historical Documents Library
Our Historical Documents Library consists of digitised original wartime newspapers, magazines, journals, periodicals, leaflets and more containing references to the Home Guard and its members. You may find useful context to help you research your Home Guard ancestors.
Ancestry®
It is quite common, when researching military ancestors, to have to look in more than one place for records, as these varying collections account for different pieces of the research puzzle. You will find a small selection of Home Guard records on Ancestry®; as you may be aware, Forces War Records is also part of the Ancestry family, but you will need a separate membership to view the records.
Records and the information offered in these collections vary, but you may be able to establish basic details, like name, address, enrollment date, and who they served with and where. The Berkshire collection even contains a small selection of group photos.
Ancestry’s Home Guard collections cover three counties:
- Berkshire, England, World War II Home Guard Records, 1943-1958
- Surrey, England, World War II Home Guard Records, 1940-1945
- Lancashire, England, World War II Home Guard Records, 1940-1945
FWR Tip: We found a small number of Home Guard members in the Ancestry® West Midlands, England, Police Files and Ledgers, 1850-1950 collection. It is worth searching occupational records for Home Guard ancestors, as some occupations, like police officers, were reserved, and its members may have joined home front organisations like the Home Guard.
Newspapers.com
Newspapers are a fantastic source for anyone researching their military ancestors, including those serving with the Home Guard. You may find references to someone who joined up, was killed during service, or was awarded for bravery, for example. Newspaper articles can contain revealing information not found elsewhere, the kind of information that may get lost over time, so they are incredibly valuable. Visit Newspapers.com and start a free trial to access over 1 billion pages of online papers.
The National Archives
Service records of the Durham Home Guard are available to download for a small fee through The National Archives’ online catalogue.
FWR Tip: Given the local organisation of the Home Guard, it is worth searching the catalogue of the local or county archive where your Home Guard ancestors served to see what records they hold.
Cover image: © Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Sources
Imperial War Museums, The Real ‘Dad’s Army’, accessed December 2024.
Museum of the Mercian Regiment, Service of the LDV, accessed December 2024.
The Home Guard, Rank Structure of the Home Guard, accessed December 2024.
The National Archives, War Office: Home Guard records, Second World War, accessed December 2024.
