Hello from Cornwall

Hi, and thanks for the add, here mainly to see if I can get any info on the 7th battalion home guard (falmouth division) in which my Grandad served.

 

Welcome aboard Sophie, all the very best with your research. They’re a great crowd here and very knowledgeable.

 

Sophie,
Have a look at these websites, they will give some info on how to search etc
http://www.home-guard.org.uk » The Home Guard - History of the Home Guard 1940 to 1944
Hertfordshire Homeguard
The Home Guard of Great Britain: General Information - Searching for Members)
Post 1921 Service
Good luck

 

Thanks Geoff, I shall take a look.

 

This a little in advance of your research, but you can get his home guard records if they still exist, using this link. It costs £ 30 and is usually no more than one sheet and is usually very brief name, address, age/dob, occupation, national identity number etc. This process is helped if his certificate of service survives & you can quote his Nat Id number (this is calculable from the 1939 register)
request-home-guard-service-records

Those who served 3 years in the Home Guard qualified to apply for the Defence Medal. Many men did not claim this at the end of the war, but it can be claimed by NOK/family. They may do the check for his service as part of an application.
Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility
Defence Medal (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

Home Guard activities were often mentioned in local newspapers. Many local papers are included on the British Newspaper Archive.
Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive

 

Thanks Travers, much appreciated, many thanks

 

Welcome to the forum. Good luck in your research.

 

This is an old article about Frank Colenso who also served in the Falmouth Home Guard who kept a diary of his experiences. It mentions that you can get a copy from the Falmouth history records at the Poly. Might shed some light.... Former Falmouth Home Guard soldier to feature in television documentary

Edit: There is also a bit online here.... Frank Colenso - Local Defence Volunteer • SWWEC

 

Hi Slick, thanks for the info, much appreciated.

 

Hi Sophie,
This is the flash your grandad would have worn being in the Home Guard in Falmouth.

There is a photo of the 7th Btn in my YouTube video on the Pillbox Line at Falmouth at 2mins 35 secs in.

You can find out a bit more about their coastal patrols in this video which also contains a couple more photos

Hope that helps. If there's anything more specific you require, ask again.

 

Thank you so much, I shall take a look, much appreciated.

 

Hi Phil, would you happen to know if the photo on the second video @ 9.20 , the one titled Falmouth home guard, would be 4 company, 7 battalion as this is the company that my Grandad was in , and one of the guys, I feel could be him, hard to say for sure as I have no pictures of him before he was 60, and in 42"he would of been 30,, great videos by the way, learnt a lot, thanks, appreciate it.

 

The photograph when I copied it only had Falmouth Home Guard as a caption. I believe there is also a copy in the RCPS archive on Falmouth. Whether they would be able to tell you more I don't know.
Falmouth History Archive - The Poly at Falmouth

 

I can do better than that. Checked a different file and found this copy of it. Apparently it's the Penryn Home Guard.

 

Thanks for that Phil, it isn't him, but Brilliant nonetheless, I have his home guard certificate of proficiency, and it states he was a CPL C.G Hayes, many thanks again, he also always used to mention Constantine, but I cant remember if it was in relation to the HG