The Norfolk Home Guard who were ready to fight Nazis.
The Norfolk Home Guard and Resistance Units had about 30,000 members during WWII.
They battled to save lives and help those at home, and they deserve to be honoured. Some we knew because they operated in public, while others never mentioned how they were preparing for a Nazi invasion of the county.
Adrian Hoare’s 1997 book, *Standing Up to Hitler, The Story of Norfolk’s Home Guard and “Secret Army” 1940-1944*, is a significant piece of our history, with a foreword by that “stupid boy” Ian Lavender of Dad’s Army fame.
Southrepps Home Guard during the Second World War (Image: Courtesy of the Southrepps Society)
Copies are still for sale.
“You will meet characters with the same backgrounds as Pte, Godfrey, Pte.
“Fraser and Jack Jones the Butcher: people recognisable as Capt.
“Mainwaring, Sgt Wilson, and – dare I say it?
Pte.
“Pike.
“The difference is Adrian Hoare’s people are real,” he added.
Diss Water Tower will not be captured! Members of the Home Guard on duty in the town (Image: in the book Standing Up To Hitler with permission of Miss J Green)
“And, as Adrian says: “Of course, there were many humorous situations, as the personal memories in this book illustrate.
“However, serving in the Home Guard, and even more running it, was a very serious business which was both demanding and time consuming.”
The Norfolk Home Guard, like those in other regions of the country, began as an amateur force.
A new form of citizen’s army that eventually evolved into a highly professional and proficient military organisation.
Some of the men who served in the Home Guard in Norwich during the war. (Image: Courtesy of Jack Mickleburgh)
The force included people of all ages, from young to old. All offered to serve their country during a time of enormous danger in the war against tyranny.
If the Nazis had struck Norfolk, the Home Guard would have battled tooth and nail.
Within 48 hours of Anthony Eden’s nationwide radio address on May 14, 1940, inviting men to join the Local Defence Volunteers (Home Guard), thousands of men from throughout the country had joined.
On parade. Members of the Carrow Home Guard shown at Lakenham Cricket Ground during the Second World War (Image: Mr. D Varvel)
For example:
Norwich 1800.
Yarmouth 700.
King’s Lynn 431.
Cromer 130.
Sheringham 174.
Dereham 150.
Diss 50.
Wells 70.
Harleston 500.
Sandringham 396.
Downham Market and local villages 150.
And by the end of the month, Norfolk LDV had over 30,000 members. The Eastern Evening News reported that the younger members would receive military training before signing up for regular service, and Lt. Col.
Barclay, later CO of the 1st Home Guard Battalion, based in Dereham, wrote to the EDP to assure readers that the character of Norfolk men would ensure they would take pleasure in destroying the “locusts” (Nazis).
The Home Guard on duty at Mundesley in around 1940 (Image: submitted)
Within months, units were established and trained throughout Norfolk, and the new name, Home Guard, was officially approved in July of that year.
There were 1,300,000 members. “Everyone offered to help their country during a period of immense national risk in the fight against tyranny.
They paraded, went on guard duty, and trained in all weather conditions while working their regular jobs,” Adrian writes. “If the Nazis had attacked Norfolk, we can be certain that the Home Guard would have fought fiercely.
Topcroft, Hardwick and Fritton Home Guard (Image: Standing Up to Hitler by permission of Mrs M Vincent)
“Later in the war, as more and more of our regular men fought abroad, they had complete faith that their families and houses were safe. “No higher compliment could be paid to the Home Guard,” Adrian said.
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