World War II Database

After France fell under German control, Britain found herself in threat of an invasion. Knowing that there were thousands of men who were ineligible for service (largely due to older age) but were willing to serve, on 14 May 1940, Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden created the Local Defence Volunteers, later renamed the Home Guard by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to defend Britain in case of a German attack.

In The Home Guard, author Neil R. Storey focused on this initially all-volunteer force. The patriotic fervor, the initial lack of equipment, and the evolution of the organization were all touched upon in this magazine-sized book. The narration flowed very well from one topic to another, and the use of many photographs, most of which I had not seen before, really helped illustrate the various topics. Fun facts, such as museums donating their WW1- and pre-WW1-vintage weapons to alleviate the initial lack of weapons, effectively described the unfamiliar juncture of having the manpower for additional defense yet lacking proper equipment. Ultimately, the Home Guard was never used fully as intended as the feared German invasion never took place. However, the establishment of the Local Defence Volunteers/Home Guard became an extremely effective tool in raising the population's morale.

Initially, I felt the small size of the book to be a bit flaw, as it lacked the volume necessary for an in-depth study. To be fair, however, it was not the author's intention to create a comprehensive volume. As I quickly came to realize, such a "flaw" actually demonstrated The Home Guard as a great introduction and primer on the history of this often overlooked branch of service, encouraging me to dive further into further study - which would most likely be the intended goal of this publication.