Dave Boocock will explain. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Thanks Ron for putting the photos up.

These photos are courtesy of Robin Longbottom of Oakworth West Yorkshire.

I thought that some may be interested in these HG photos. Robin's father, Derek, was in the Home Guard in Keighley. He was a DR in a Major Tillotson's company.
The first photo was taken at Lawkholme plying fields in Keighley. Derek is standing marked with a X,his bike had broken down and the engine was in pieces at his engineering shop nearby. The others are standing, because there was no room to get all the bikes in the picture. A chap called Fred Bailey was the Sergeant and is to the right of Derek, he had been a DR in WW1. Derek, was deferred for service and stayed in the HG throughout the war.

The second photo was taken at a local pub, The Guide. Derek is stood next to the guy on the bike. Next to him is a chap called Fred Ogden, he had something to do with Bottomley's sweets, some of you may remember,Bottomley's Mint Rock.

Some of Derek's duty was on Wednesdays nights to ride a circuit calling at the homes of local company officers.

Hope this may be of interest ? Maybe Ian.

Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Yes, my Father was born in Keighley but was in the Skipton Home Guard..That may have just been down to a house move made by my Grandfather..I'm not actually sure exactly where they lived at that time...

Tomorrow I'll try to scan and post the picture I have of my father in his HG uniform...I still have his shirt, 'painted' shoulder titles, Skipton unit number badges and cap badge....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Here's the picture of my Father, ready to repel the Hun, taken in my Grandfathers back garden...He was in the Skipton Home Guard....I think the cap badge was the West Riding badge which I still have...

I believe it's an American rifle from the WW1 era but I'm no expert on this...

On demob the Home Guard were given their battle dress (though by then my father was in a different HG unit) and I have another picture taken post war of him wearing it, taken with my Grandfather outside his pigeon loft (He was a national judge for Doves, Pigeons and Bantam hens..Typical Yorkshireman!)... Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Great picture Ian, The rifle is a P14, made in the USA for Britain in .303 as part of the lend lease agreement (They are stamped PROTERTY OF USA). They were mainly given to the HG. The bayonet looks the same as the 1907 Lee Enfield bayonet for the SMLE, but they're not interchangable. So the P14 bayonet has 2 deep grooves in the handle so you can tell the difference

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Or it could be a P17 in 30.06, but its difficult to see if there is a red band painted on the rifle in a black and white picture.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

As he actually has a rifle and a correctly badged HG uniform can anyone estimate what was the earliest year this picture could have been taken?..If it helps at all, he had the 'painted' type HG shoulder titles...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Its hard to say, 1942 or after? but it really would be a guess.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Thanks Rob/Horror..

Perhaps of interest to Dave Boocock, I've found out my Grandfathers house was on the outskirts of Cross Hills...As this is halfway between Kieghley and Skipton perhaps he might have ended up in either of the HG units in those two towns?. Or maybe the house was on the Skipton side of Cross Hills..

The pictures posted by Ron appear to be taken either early or late in the year...No leaves on the trees and gloves/scarves etc. are being worn by most of the men...In the second picture is the third man from the right wearing a Home Guard armband on his right sleeve?...I love these sort of photos...very atmospheric and indicative of a time long past now...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Interestingly there were two Home Guard Battalions based in Skipton (32nd and 33rd West Riding) and two in Keighley (27th and 28th West Riding) so it could be quite tricky working out where the borders were drawn.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

My Father was in 33rd (West Riding)Skipton Home Guard...I haven't been able to find a picture of that unit so far...That's something I would really like to have.....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi All,
Thanks Ian for posting the photo of you Dad, you had mentioned it to me before.
He does look very young, My friend Patrick may be able to tell you approx the year. It is funny but Crosshills and Skipton are in North Yorkshire, not the WR for West Riding! That is now, in WW2 in could have been in West, We all now what happened in the 80's, when all the boundrys changed!!

Rob, the 27th will have been based in Keighley town, the 28th where based in Haworth. There is a 28WR Home Guard unit that do events. Patrick may be able to shed some light on the borders where.

Funny, but the thread was supposed to be about the bikes!! Never mind it's still interesting. Robin who sent the photos, thinks that the bike second from the right was a Brough Superior.

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Hi Dave

My information came from the book "Stand Down" which is a snap shot of the Home Guard as it was in November 1944 when the Home Guard was disbanded, I think quite a few changes happened prior to that.

The bikes should be the priority here but I can't identify any of them from the front.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Hi Rob,

That's sounds a good book. I have spoke to my friend Patrick and I think that he is going to post something about it. I went and got it wrong Crosshills and Skipton where in West Yorkshire in WW2, Not now though.
Ian did mention something about the bikes, but Rob like you say hard to tell from the front. I haven't a clue.
Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Dave,

Getting back to the bikes. I think the second bike from the right is a BSA. In 1939 and 1940 BSA bikes had silver panels and it could be either a Silver Star/Gold Star badge or a 1940 oval tank badge. It is very hard to tell.

Regards,
Leon

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Is that your right or my left Leon?? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

email (option): m.wijbenga[at]hotmail.com