I went to the NMR in Swindon recently having pre-ordered aerial photos of the areas surrounding Bodmin, Wadebridge, Lostwithiel. I also looked for the Red Line in Wiltshire. The Wiltshire photos show the ditches, pillboxes roadblock clearly and those on the Bodmin Stop Line show almost nothing!! I took photos and photocopies of some but this is proving very frustrating! I have found some records of the Home Guard in Lostwithiel however which explain the defended locations there....but nothing on Bodmin or Lostwithiel.
I doubt you'll get much from the County Records people, I tried to lodge photos and the Camborne attendance register with them but they didn't want them. Attached is a photo of the 17th Platoon, 5th (St.Austell) Home Guard. My grandfather (GWR bus Depot Superintendent) is 2nd left, front row. I'll post some more Cornwall HG photos later Dave
I doubt you'll get much from the County Records people, I tried to lodge photos and the Camborne attendance register with them but they didn't want them. Attached is a photo of the 17th Platoon, 5th (St.Austell) Home Guard. My grandfather (GWR bus Depot Superintendent) is 2nd left, front row. I'll post some more Cornwall HG photos later Dave
and here's another photo of the St.Austell Home Guard badge being worn, by my grandfather, George Lyne.
I am researching Auxiliary Units in East Cornwall in the Liskeard/Menheniot area. Can anyone tell me about the Homeguard units in the area that they trained against. Targets like Menheniot Viaduct etc. Probably 6Bn DCLI HG - so how was it organised and was Colonel Atkins in it. Any information or photographs appreciated. Thank you
Hi Bala Have you contacted the people on this link?? - http://www.coleshillhouse.com/cornwall-auxiliary-units-and-obs.php TD
Hi Bala, There were Auxiliary Units at Liskeard - Roseland Quarry Looe - St Martins Wood St Germans - Lanjore Farm St Keyne - Trussell Wood Pelynt - hill near Trelawney Manor Menheniot Patrol - OB location unknown. They were all part of No 6 Group. The Coleshill house link will give you more information. The main Home Guard Units were based in Liskeard and in Looe part of the 6th Btn and wore a shoulder patch of the Cornish shield (with 15 bezants) with the No 6 above it. The Looe unit was under a Major Horace Ross. I have no information on the Liskeard unit. I believe there were smaller platoons/sections in some of the villages between the two towns but they would have come under Liskeard or Looe in terms of training and exercises. It may be worth you contacting the small town museums in both Liskeard and in Looe to see if they can tell you more.
Bala I am pretty sure I have some lists of the HG units in the area in my files from Kew. PM me an email address and I will see what I can find out when I have a moment.
Thanks for your help Guys CornwallPhil - Recently we got access to a diary (1941-43) kept by the Roseland Patrol. Liskeard and Menheniot were not names ever used but Roseland and St Ive were. Neither was Looe that was called Morval in the diary. A complete list of the Patrols in Group 6 reads: St Keyne, Morval, St Ive, St Germans, Pelynt, Lansallos, Roseland, who trained together plus St Juliot, Coads Green, Launceston and Bridgerule to the North. Lansallos which you did not mention built their own underground operational base in a small field about 200 yards from Tregemellyn Farmhouse, Lanteglos by Fowey.
Hi Bala, I'm currently researching the Auxiliary Patrols of Grampound, Probus and Philleigh. I've visited the OB sites and now just starting to dig a little deeper. It sounds like you have a really interesting find in the Roseland Patrol diary. I was just wondering where you managed to find the diary and if there were other patrol diaries available anywhere? I'd be really grateful of any help you can offer. Many thanks.
Hi Bala, Remember the Auxiliary Units and the Home Guard were two separate organisations with different roles, and while in a number of places there was some commonality of personnel the degree of training and expertise in the Auxiliary Units would be far higher. Yes my list was incomplete for Group 6 as your request was for Home Guard units in the Liskeard/Menheniot area. As for the Auxiliary Units I've seen Looe referred to as both Looe & Morval as their OB was in woodland on the Morval Estate. I assume you have checked out the Coleshill House link. They would be very interested in seeing the diary you refer to. I'd be interested in hearing whether it gives any clues as to their potential targets in the event of an invasion, though one would hope their level of secrecy would be such that the information couldn't be compromised. As for the Probus patrol I was told by the sister of one member that everyone knew who the Auxiliaries were simply because of the weapons they had compared to the Home Guard!
Thanks for the info on the Probus Patrol Phil. I've now been given contact details of relatives of patrol members and will hopefully be able to find out a bit more info from them too.
The CO of the Liskeard Battalion was Lt.Col. R.N Campbell & the Battalion Chaplain was Rev. W.Steer if that helps anyone Dave
Does anyone have any information on Lostwithiel Home Guard, my Mother Stella Chilwell was a member. (I will get in touch with NMR)
Can you supply a little more information, please? I'm not aware of women being in the Home Guard at Lostwithiel.
I have paperwork which shows my Mother joined the Home Guard September 1943 till late in 1944. I still have her plastic badge. I only found this information after her death. Any ideas/ information would be wonderful Regards F
Unfortunately, compared to other counties, even though Cornwall was a front-line county, there is very little information on the Cornwall HG, with no widespread published work. It is probably best to try your local history society ot county record office.
Contesting home defence Men, women and the Home Guard in the Second World War Contesting Home Defence by Summerfield, Penny and Peniston-Bird, Corinna: Manchester University Press Original Cloth Gilt, First Edition. - R.W. Forder Contesting Home Defense Manchester University Press - Contesting home defence
