The Home Guard in Leicestershire
A recent meeting of the Community History Network in Leicester included a talk on the Home Guard.
These meetings are held every two months at the Reference Library in Bishop Street, and are open to anybody with an interest in any aspect of local history. At each meeting there is an interesting speaker.
This time it was Austin Ruddy, a journalist with the "Leicester Mercury", who has made a study of the Home Guard in the Second World War, and how it was organised in Leicestershire.
Austin hoped to get away from the "Dad`s Army" view of the Home Guard, but as his researches progressed he came to realise that this comedy series came closer to reality than he had thought.
Austin also touched on similar occupations, such as firewatchers. My father, unable to join the forces due to a medical condition, worked for Southend Borough Council but doubled as a firewatcher, Southend being in the front line of German bombing expeditions to London.
The talk was well up to the usual standards of interest and enjoyment.
Posted by colin on Wednesday 7th July, 2010 at 9:57am