A member of the Home Guard demonstrates a rifle equipped to fire an an...
A member of the Home Guard demonstrates a rifle equipped to fire an anti-tank grenade, Dorking, 3 August 1942. A member of the Home Guard demonstrates the EY rifle with No. 68 anti-tank grenade, Dorking, 3 August 1942.
A parade of 'Old Contemptibles' - men who had served in France and Bel...
A parade of 'Old Contemptibles' - men who had served in France and Belgium in 1914 - in the Local Defence Volunteers, soon to be renamed the Home Guard, 1 July 1940. Local Defence Volunteers: 'Old Contemptibles... More
A squad of Home Guard soldiers training to defend a street with 'Molot...
A squad of Home Guard soldiers training to defend a street with 'Molotov cocktail' petrol bombs, March 1941. The Home Guard: A squad of Home Guards prepare to deal with an invader by means of Molotov cocktails ... More
A veteran sergeant in the Dorking Home Guard cleans his Tommy gun at t...
A veteran sergeant in the Dorking Home Guard cleans his Tommy gun at the dining room table, before going on parade, 1 December 1940. The Home Guard: Seated at the dining table with his wife, a Sergeant of the D... More
A Westland Lysander of No. 13 Squadron RAF based at Hooton Park, Chesh...
A Westland Lysander of No. 13 Squadron RAF based at Hooton Park, Cheshire, provides aiming practice for members of the Home Guard, at the Western Command Weapons Training School at Altcar, near Formby, 17 Septe... More
Air Raid Precautions in Britain- Staff of the Ministry of Information ...
Air Raid Precautions in Britain- Staff of the Ministry of Information Wear Gas Masks To Work, London, England, 1941 L M MacBride of the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information sends a cable to 'Par... More
Answering You- the Production of a BBC Radio Programme For the United ...
Answering You- the Production of a Bbc Radio Programme For the United States of America, 1941 Poet and radio broadcaster, Fusilier Z A Bokhari, is trained in the use of the Tommy gun along with his colleagues i... More
British Workers Guard Their Work- the Home Guard, England, 1941 D4357
British Workers Guard Their Work- the Home Guard, England, 1941 A group of Home Guard are trained in the use of a Northover Projector near the factory at which they work, somewhere in England, 1941.
British Workers Guard Their Work- the Home Guard, England, 1941 D4359
British Workers Guard Their Work- the Home Guard, England, 1941 Men of a factory Home Guard charge across a field towards the camera, bayonets fixed, as part of a training exercise, somewhere in England, 1941.
Chemical Warfare in the Twentieth Century HU55581
Chemical Warfare in the Twentieth Century The Second World War: The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, carrying his gas mask while inspecting men of the Parliamentary Home Guard, Palace of Westminster, London.
Civil Defence in Britain 1940- the Home Guard HU83770
Civil Defence in Britain 1940- the Home Guard Home Guard practice exercises in Leicester. Picture shows: A Leicestershire Home Guard anti-tank section capture their first "Nazi" Whippet tank.
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 D6780
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 Members of the Lindisfarne Home Guard march out along the beach on their way to a training session. In the background, the imposing sight of Lindi... More
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 D6799
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 Men of the Home Guard, who are also members of the lifeboat crew, run up the steps of the lifeboat station, still in their Home Guard uniforms, fol... More
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 D6800
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 65 year old John Markham (facing camera) runs down the steps of the lifeboat station, pulling his oilskins on over his Home Guard uniform, as a col... More
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 D1223...
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 Men of the Home Guard listen to a lecture by a Royal Artillery Sergeant on how to identify enemy aircraft. Model planes hang against a white-was... More
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 D1256...
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 Members of the Home Guard line up for duty beside their anti-aircraft (AA) gun on a sunny Sunday morning.
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 D1256...
Home Guard Man Anti Aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 A group of Home Guard relax in front of the fire in their Nissen hut. One man is asleep on his camp bed, whilst the others sit down to chat and ... More
Home Guard Man Anti-aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 D1223...
Home Guard Man Anti-aircraft Gun- Civil Defence in Britain, 1943 Women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) bring food to members of the Home Guard before they begin their night duty manning an anti-aircr... More
Home Guard soldiers advance warily during an exercise near Exeter, 10 ...
Home Guard soldiers advance warily during an exercise near Exeter, 10 August 1941 Home Guard soldiers advance warily during an exercise near Exeter, 10 August 1941.
Home Guard soldiers operate a 'Blacker Bombard' spigot mortar during t...
Home Guard soldiers operate a 'Blacker Bombard' spigot mortar during training at No. 3 GHQ Home Guard School at Onibury near Craven Arms in Shropshire, 20 May 1943. Home Guard soldiers operate a 'Blacker Bombar... More
Home Guard troops 'fighting' Valentine tanks of 6th Armoured Division ...
Home Guard troops 'fighting' Valentine tanks of 6th Armoured Division during large-scale manoeuvres at Yelden in Bedfordshire, 27 July 1941. Home Guard troops 'fighting' Valentine tanks of 6th Armoured Division... More
Invasion Defences in the United Kingdom H1951
Invasion Defences in the United Kingdom Members of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) stand guard at a concrete road barricade at Findon, Sussex, 26 June 1940.
Invasion Village- Everyday Life in Orford, Suffolk, England, 1941 D485...
Invasion Village- Everyday Life in Orford, Suffolk, England, 1941 A group of Home Guard sit in the local village pub in Orford and enjoy a pint of beer and a chat. Many of the these men served during the First... More
IWM-H-7330-Road-Barrier-in-Scotland
The Home Guard: Home Guards erecting a road barrier during an exercise held in the north of Scotland.
King George VI talking to a member of the Home Guard during an inspect...
King George VI talking to a member of the Home Guard during an inspection in Kent, 10 August 1940. King George VI talking to a member of the Home Guard during an inspection in Kent, 10 August 1940.
Local Defence Volunteer (LDV) recruits learning rifle drill at Buckhur...
Local Defence Volunteer (LDV) recruits learning rifle drill at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, 1 July 1940. Local Defence Volunteer (LDV) recruits learning rifle drill at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, 1 July 1940.
Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) being inspected by senior officers at t...
Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) being inspected by senior officers at their post in Whitehall, London, 21 June 1940. Local Defence Volunteers: The first manned Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) post in central Lond... More
London in the Spring of 1941- Everyday Life in London, England D2945
London in the Spring of 1941- Everyday Life in London, England A crowd of Home Guard, members of the Army and civilian women gather on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, Trafalgar Square. Most have... More
Member of the Home Guard eating tea with his family prior to going on ...
Member of the Home Guard eating tea with his family prior to going on duty, 1942. Richard Sainsbury has tea with his wife and two children, Elaine (6) and David (7). He is dressed in his Home Guard uniform and... More
Members of the Doncaster Home Guard, two wearing camouflage net veils ...
Members of the Doncaster Home Guard, two wearing camouflage net veils over their faces, swim across a river during an assault exercise, 20 July 1942. Members of 2nd Platoon, 'C' Company of the Doncaster Home Gu... More
Members of the Home Guard man a Vickers machine-gun on the shores of L...
Members of the Home Guard man a Vickers machine-gun on the shores of Loch Stack in the Highlands of Scotland, 14 February 1941. Members of the Home Guard man a Vickers machine-gun on the shores of Loch Stack in... More
Royal Academy of Music- the work of the Royal Academy in Wartime, Lond...
Royal Academy of Music- the work of the Royal Academy in Wartime, London, England, UK, 1944 Members of the woodwind section of the Royal Academy orchestra during a rehearsal for the orchestral concert which is ... More
Springfield in Wartime- Everyday Life in An Essex Village, August 1941...
Springfield in Wartime- Everyday Life in An Essex Village, August 1941 Men of the Springfield Home Guard in Essex stand at ease during a parade drill outside All Saints Church. They all have rifles with bayonets fixed.
Springfield in Wartime- Everyday Life in An Essex Village, August 1941...
Springfield in Wartime- Everyday Life in An Essex Village, August 1941 Men of the Springfield Home Guard take part in a bayonet charge across sunny parkland during a training exercise.
The Battle of Britain HU88402
The Battle of Britain A member of the Home Guard stands by the rear fuselage of Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 (W.Nr. 5587) 'Yellow 10' of 6./JG 51 'Molders', which crash-landed at East Langdon in Kent, 24 August 1940... More
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 H8111
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 A Home Guard detachment patrolling along cliff paths near Dover or Folkestone, March 1941.
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H10123
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 Home Guard and Army officers watch a demonstration of the Northover Projector at Catterick Camp, 29 May 1941. The weapon was design to propel hand grenades using a... More
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H39707
The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 Members of the Kent Home Guard demonstrate a 'Blacker Bombard' spigot mortar during an inspection by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Schreiber, GOC South East Comman... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H11844
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: A member of the Home Guard receiving instruction on a machine gun at a training centre.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H11852
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: During an exercise involving the local Home Guard, ARP personnel and the Police in Northen Command, 'enemy' forces succeeded in taking a town after a bitter struggle but... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H12239
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: 'E' Company 20th (Sevenoaks) Home Guard firing an anti-tank weapon at Chelsfield in Kent.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H18273
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Members of 1st Battalion (Exeter) Home Guard training with an 18 pounder field gun at Okehampton Range.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H1917, World War II photo
The Home Guard 1939-1945 Local Defence Volunteers: A sergeant instructor explaining the working of a rifle to two members of the Local Defence Volunteers at Bisley range.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H21579
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Men of 2nd Platoon 'C' Company, 46th Riding, Doncaster, Battalion Home Guard carrying out an exercise in the Northern Command. They are pictured crossing a river by mean... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H22087
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: After swimming a river in full kit during an exercise in Yorkshire, a helping hand is extended to a member of Number 2 Platoon 'B' Company of the 4th Battalion, East Rid... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H22519
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: During an exercise in Colchester in August 1942 involving Home Guard and Civil Defence personnel, German troops were supposed to have landed and were attacking the local... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H22548
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: A Home Guard mounted patrol parading for inspection at Cowbridge near Cardiff. Their task was to patrol the hills and valleys of the Welsh countryside.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H27225
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: The Home Guard were also used to defend inland waterways. Photograph shows the Trent River Patrol, Nottinghamshire Home Guard sending messages by the disc semaphore method.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H30115
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: A Home Guard quarry platoon in action at Whitehaven in Cumberland. Photograph shows the platoon's toggle team positioned at the top of a quarry-face in order to pull up ... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H30177
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: A break from instructions for men on a Home Guard Junior leaders course at Number 3 GHQ Home Guard School, Onibury near Craven Arms, Shropshire, sees soldiers dressed in... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H34182
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: A medical exercise held in North Wales used a company of Home Guards to act as stretcher bearers, lowering the wounded down a cliff face and, with the aid of improvised ... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H4062, World War II photo
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Members of the Home Guard training with an aircraft Lewis gun at a Weapon Training School in the Western Command. Their training also included the use of Vickers, Bren a... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H4755, World War II photo
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Men of the 5th Battalion (Doncaster) Home Guard rounding up an 'enemy' parachutist during training for assisting the Army in the event of an invasion.
The Home Guard 1939-1945 H4936, World War II photo
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Home Guards in the Edinburgh area organised a motor boat patrol for use on the canals and waterways of the district in order to protect local factories and buildings. On... More
The Home Guard 1939-1945 HU50154
The Home Guard 1939-1945 The Local Defence Volunteers: Members of the Local Defence Volunteers being taught simple German phrases.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12128
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard troops move warily away from the bus which brought them into action, during an exercise to defend an airfield in Southern Command, 26 July 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12299
The Home Guard 1939-45 Men of the Saxmundham Home Guard prepare to fire a 'Blacker Bombard' during training with War Office instructors, 30 July 1941. The weapon was a 29mm spigot mortar, designed by a Lieutena... More
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12425
The Home Guard 1939-45 The townspeople of Worthing in Sussex watch with interest as the Home Guard resist an 'attack' on the pier by regular troops supported by a Universal carrier, 3 August 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12449
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard soldiers (foreground) battle 'enemy paratroopers' during an exercise in the streets of a mining town in Northern Command, 3 August 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12609
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard soldiers on motorcycle sidecar combinations fitted with Lewis guns during an exercise near Exeter, 10 August 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12631
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard soldiers fire a Bren gun set up on an anti-aircraft mounting, during an exercise near Exeter, 10 August 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H12852
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard troops defend a roadblock with smoke and rifle fire, 17 August 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H14697
The Home Guard 1939-45 Men of the War Office Home Guard parade on the roof of their building, 15 October 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H15191
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard soldiers in York prepare a roadblock by inserting metal girders into pre-dug holes in the road, 2 November 1941.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H17542
The Home Guard 1939-45 Members of the Home Guard operate a Browning machine-gun from a trailer hitched to a car during exercises with regular troops, 2 February 1942.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H17543
The Home Guard 1939-45 Major the Earl of Bradford (right) directs his company of the Home Guard during exercises with regular troops, 2 February 1942.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H21135
The Home Guard 1939-45 Home Guard soldiers load an anti-aircraft rocket at a 'Z' Battery on Merseyside, 6 July 1942.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H21141
The Home Guard 1939-45 Anti-aircraft rocket or 'Z' Battery manned by the Home Guard on Merseyside, 6 July 1942.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H29023
The Home Guard 1939-45 Sergeant Bill Davies (right, with Sten gun) leads the his Home Guard platoon at Gresford Colliery in Wales, 15 April 1943.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H30109
The Home Guard 1939-45 Lance-corporal Towson of the Home Guard takes cover during an exercise at Whitehaven in Cumberland, 16 May 1943.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H30178
The Home Guard 1939-45 Troops attack a 'German' tank (in reality a Valentine) with 'sticky bombs' during training at No. 3 GHQ Home Guard School at Onibury near Craven Arms in Shropshire, 20 May 1943.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H30446
The Home Guard 1939-45 Vickers machine-gun of the Cheshire Home Guard, at Hoylake on the Wirral, 1 June 1943.
The Home Guard 1939-45 H4757
The Home Guard 1939-45 Men of the 5th (Doncaster) Battalion of the Home Guard under attack from an 'enemy dive-bomber' during a training exercise at Punch's Hotel, Bessacarr, Doncaster, 14 October 1940. The air... More
The Home Guard during the Second World War H2625
The Home Guard during the Second World War Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) aim their rifles at a passing RAF aircraft from behind a sandbagged position, 30 July 1940.
The Home Guard during the Second World War H2722
The Home Guard during the Second World War Members of the Home Guard stage an attack on an enemy 'tank' - in reality a corrugated iron mock-up - as they defend a concrete road barrier with petrol bombs, August 1940.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H30442
The Home Guard in the Second World War Men of the Cheshire Home Guard man a 6pounder naval gun mounted on a field gun chassis at Hoylake on the Wirral, 1 June 1943.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H30444
The Home Guard in the Second World War Men of the Cheshire Home Guard manning a 6 pdr naval gun mounted on a field gun chassis at Hoylake on the Wirral, consult a map at Battery HQ, 1 June 1943.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H5839
The Home Guard in the Second World War Two members of the Home Guard armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H5844
The Home Guard in the Second World War Two members of the Home Guard, armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, manning a slit trench on the green at Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H5848
The Home Guard in the Second World War Members of the Home Guard receive instruction on the Bren light machine-gun, on the green at Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.
The Home Guard in the Second World War H8127
The Home Guard in the Second World War Members of the Home Guard defend a roadblock using 'Molotov cocktails', during exercises in the Dover/Folkestone area, March 1941.
The Home Guard in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 H25074
The Home Guard in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 The Home Guard: Personnel of a Home Guard Motor Transport Company in Ulster pictured in an Army lorry. Members of this Company did some of their training with the ... More
The Home Guard in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 H29014
The Home Guard in the United Kingdom 1939-1945 Sergeant Bill Davies, a colliery fireman from Gresford in North Wales, and the leader of a platoon of the colliery's Home Guard unit, bids goodbye to his wife as ... More
The Home Guard, 1940 H2721
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards approach a burning 'German tank' during an exercise in Cromer, Norfolk, in the summer of 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4058
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards carry machine guns and rifles to a range at the Altcar training camp in Western Command to be trained in their use, 11 September 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4059
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards receiving Vickers gun instruction at the Altcar training camp in Western Command, 11 September 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4060
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards armed with rifles and a Vickers gun during weaponry training at the Altcar training camp in Western Command, 11 September 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4061
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards armed with rifles and a Vickers gun during weaponry training at the Altcar training camp in Western Command, 11 September 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4937
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards patrol a section of canal in Edinburgh in a motor boat armed with rifles and a mounted Lewis gun, 19 October 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H4938, World War II photo
The Home Guard, 1940 Home Guards patrol a section of canal in Edinburgh in a motor boat armed with rifles and a mounted Lewis gun, 19 October 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H5838
The Home Guard, 1940 A Home Guard takes aim with a Thompson submachine gun (or Tommy gun) in Dorking, 1 December 1940.
The Home Guard, 1940 H5840
The Home Guard, 1940 Two Home Guards in Dorking with newly-issued Bren and Thompson submachine guns, 1 December 1940.
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 H1997
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 A company of Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) learning rifle drill at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, 1 July 1940.
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 H1999
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 Members of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) armed with rifles outside their headquarters at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, 1 July 1940.
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 H2000
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 Two members of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) undertake rifle practice at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, 1 July 1940.
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 H2006
The Local Defence Volunteers, 1940 Members of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) construct wooden road barricades and a sandbagged defence post at Woodford Wells, Essex, 1 July 1940.
The Royal Navy during the Second World War A19022
The Royal Navy during the Second World War Admiral Sir Chas Kennedy-Purvis the Deputy First Sea Lord, accompanied by Major Lord Bruntisfield, MC (Parliamentary Secretary) inspecting the Admiralty Company of Hom... More
The Second World War 1939 - 1945- the Home Front H5842
The Second World War 1939 - 1945- the Home Front Two members of the Home Guard with a Vickers machine gun on a village green in Surrey. Originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers, the force was set up in ... More
The Telephone Service Carries On, London, January 1942 D6440
The Telephone Service Carries On, London, January 1942 In the yard at the Repair Depot, repair lorries are already loaded and ready to start. Members of repair crews hurry to their vehicles, some of them still... More
The Telephone Service Carries On, London, January 1942 D6450
The Telephone Service Carries On, London, January 1942 Back at the telephone repair depot after having laid new cables somewhere in London, members of this repair crew are now on Home Guard duty. One Home Guar... More