h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have that same book from which I extracted information. One further point is that US Lewis Gun 96 round mags from aircraft guns could only be used on US guns. Since the 40 round drums could be used on either, it must have caused some confusion. They were marked red too.

The book also covered foreign (enemy) weapons and there are instances where regular and possibly HG units salvaged German MG15s from downed bombers and set them up as makeshift AA guns. Ammunition was not an immediate problem as it could be salvaged from downed aircraft or they could use tank machine gun ammo (BESA) which was 7,9mm and not in as much demand as .303" in 1940.

Yes,the Barlow book is a useful reference.My main interest is the Spanish Civil War.Most of the types he describes were used there.
Okay,nothing else to say,except well done and carry on with the good work.

Excellent entry. I'm not normally that enthralled by military matters, but it really is facinating to discover the truth behind the inspired comic fiction of 'Dad's Army'. It's time this entry was sent on manoeuvres into the Edited Guide!

If someone fancies recommending this, I'm sure it'll have no problems being accepted (bearing in mind that we'll not be in the office until the New Year). Just 'don't panic' though

I'll bear that in mind, Jimster.

Hello
I've got a couple of quick questions. Do you think it is worth mentioning the LDVs and later the Home Guard where given dangerous and unproven weaponary like the anti tank sticky bomb? Also the fact that there where hidden crack units of real soldiers placed about the country to become the British resistance in the event of invasion. I believe these units where technically home guard but kept hush hush.

Oh, and would it be worth mentioning the home guard could be downright dangerous, like the fact in one incident a deaf boy on a bike was shot as he didn't stop when a homeguard shouted "halt".

Now these pieces of info come from channel 4 documentaries on the subject so I don't know how correct they are, but I'm fairly sure about the sticky bomb as they had training footage.

But these obscure claims are the only things I think are not covered in this fine and comprehensive entry.

Researcher PSG

Great stuff.

First: perhaps mention the many veterans of the Spanish Civil War who joined also, and who played such a massive role in organising and training in the first part of the war before they were branded communists and removed. The only proffessional and rigorous training Home Guard troops recieved was at the hands of Tom Winteringham and his men, his training manual "New Ways of War" remains a classic.

Second: Perhaps mention the Home Guards treat of being killed as spies after Hitler refused to recognise them as regular units and the offer to leave the ranks given to the HG.

That should of course be threat not treat.

The Home Guard's treat was probibly at Osterly Park, where while recieving camoflage training under Roland Penrose they would be required to camoflage a naked Lee Miller (supermodel of her day and leading photographer and journalist of WWII)!

There were a number of fatalities during the war due to HG 'mistakes' but given the toll of dead and wounded from air raids, it is a drop in the ocean. I believe more were killed and injured by shell fragments from anti-aircraft barrages than by the HG.

Most of these occurred on tne night the church bells were tolled which signified an invasion. More on this later.

I am aware of these training sessions, they even appeared in 'Dad's Army@, but I work to a limit of 2000 words and therefore I miss out much that happened. I'm not writing a book, more of a precis.

Hitler called them 'murder gangs' and I did mention it.

Sticky bombs - were proven, but still highly dangerous. They were on issue to Regular units, but most eneded up with the HG. Given that they were nitro-glycerine, sensitive to shock and, when made ready, would stick to ANYTHING, I think I would rather give them away. But then, these were desperate times!

When the threat of execution was made all the home guard units were assembled and everyone was giveen the option in the light of this to leave the Guard, not one member did.

I always found this terrifically symbolic of the bravery of these men.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

The Home Guard marches triumphantly into the Edited Guide! Well done, Who?

Splendid!

Hello

Well done, fine entry, well deserved

About my points, as I said they where obscure and probably not esential, but as I said they where the only things not mentioned that I knew of.

Sticky bombs : From what I heard I was given the impression it was unproven, probably documentary makers liscence. But to be honest given your description I can't blame the army for trying to palm them off on any sucker.
"Yes I want you to walk slowly and carefully towards the tank, stick this bomb to it and try not to stick yourself to the bomb. Then run like hell"

Researcher PSG

The problem was - what will it stick to? The tank - or me?

Oh H**l! It stuck to me!!!!!!!!!

Treat me gently!

Don't shake the jacket as you take it off we'll all go up!

Nooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (loud bang offstage)

There are still some out there, buried in the ground.

Somewhere.

Researcher PSG

p.s. The idea always made me think of someone who had a bad experience with a toffee apple.

IIRC by the time of the stand-down, the weapons mix was largely rifle & sten gun. There was an early issue of ball ammunition which could be fired from shotguns which Forrester mentions in one of the pieces in "Gold from Crete" (? weren't shotguns a prohibited weapon under the conventions? I thought that the Americans used pump-action shotguns in the Pacific, because the Japanese were only signatories to Hague, not Geneva, but not in the European theatre.) I think there would have been a repeat of the Franco-Prussian war scenes of francs-tireurs hanging from every lamppost - I don't think a brassard would have deterred the Germans from hanging them.

By 1942, the Home Guard were pretty well armed and professional. My grandad, an ANZAC veteran of Gallipoli, joined at once but left 'when it started getting organised'.

Yes, ball ammunition was issued for 12 bore shotguns at one point, but if I remember correctly it was not widespread. Shotguns were not banned by the conventions, but it was a poor weapon at that time as even pump-action guns had poor range and limited capacity. Our special services in the Far East also used shotguns as they were ideal jungle-fighting weapons in lieu of sub-machineguns.

I think you are quite right about the results of a German invasion - they would have been shot. The German Home Guard, the Volksturm also wore armbands and some must have been shot out of hand by all participating forces for the same reason.