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London Metropolitan Archives

HOME GUARD


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): HG

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: HOME GUARD

Date(s): 1940-1946

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 1.25 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Home Guard x Local Defence Volunteers

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Upon the formation of units of Local Defence Volunteers (later re-named the Home Guard) in May, 1940, it was considered desirable to recruit volunteers from the Council's staff primarily to provide protection for the Council's buildings and other properties in the event of invasion but also as part of the general L.D.V. organisation throughout the country. In this way, the London County Council Battalion was set up.

In February 1941, a second battalion was formed and the two units were designated the 47th and 48th County of London (LCC) Battalions. Colonel H.R. Oswald, M.C., an Assistant Clerk of the Council was the officer commanding the Battalion and later the Group of two Battalions throughout the entire period of their existence.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Subject files, 1940-1944, on a range of topics including general organisation, "H" Company (County Hall), "P" Company (Parks Department), "E" Company (Chief Engineers' Department), "C" Company (Cooper's Hill), "F" Company (Fire Brigade Department), "S" Company (Supplies Department), Public Health Company and No.2 Battalion (later 48th County of London Battalion), Mental Hospitals Company, medical organisation and equipment, food rationing and mobile canteens, Battalion Funds, Courts-martial and courts of inquiry, explosions, accidents and injuries, loss of arms and ammunition, dress regulations, storage of ammunition, revolvers, appointment of officers, adjutants and quartermasters, Permanent Staff Instructors, new conditions of service for home guards, man-power figures, attachments and locations, Women Home Guard auxiliaries, compensation for loss of earnings, casualties, discipline, Home Guard duties and civil defence, personnel over 65 years of age, transport, armoured fighting vehicles, Winter and Summer training, assaults at arms, ranges, operations, exercises, security and intelligence, mine watching exercises, anniversary parades, standing-down of Home Guard and awards and commendations.

Also Army Council Instructions; regulations for the Home Guard; Home Guard Information Circulars; Home Guard Instructions; London District Home Guard Orders; London County Council Group Orders; 47th Battalion Orders; 48th Battalion Orders; Guard report books; papers relevant to the history of the London County Council battalions, including copies of the printed histories of "3" and "C" Companies by Majors Brand and Belsham; papers relating to the formation of Old Comrades Association and Home Guard Training Manual (third edition).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

HG/1-57: Subject files; HG/58-66: Orders; HG/67-75: Occurrence Books, HG/76-84: General administrative.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright: City of London

Physical characteristics:

Fit

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Acquired with the records of its parent body, the London County Council. Some records received as separate gift (AC/54/092).

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

See ACC/1101 for the Middlesex Home Guard.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: April to June 2009


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Armed forces | State security
Armoured fighting vehicles | Motor vehicles | Vehicles | Transport
Awards | Social norms | Social behaviour
Civil defence | Defence | State security
Courts martial | Courts | Administration of justice
Explosions | Accidents | Disasters
Food rationing | Rationing | Food control | Health policy | Health
Military administration | Administration | Organisation and management
Military education | Higher science education
Military exercises | Higher science education
Parades | Cultural events | Leisure time activities | Leisure
Volunteers | Social work
Weapons | Military equipment | Equipment
World War Two (1939-1945) | World wars (events) | Wars (events)
Civil defence x Defence
Military personnel x Armed forces
Military training x Military education
Military organizations

Personal names

Corporate names
47th County of London Battalion of Home Guard
48th County of London Battalion of Home Guard
British Army
Home Guard x Local Defence Volunteers
LCC | London County Council x London County Council
London County Council Battalion of Home Guard

Places
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe