It seems most, if not all, Home Guard vehicles I recall seeing in photographs weren't marked...Was there an official marking system for HG vehicles?...If there was how would that have applied to motorcycles?...

Or is it the case that to apply Home Guard markings comes under the heading of 'artistic license'?....Ian

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

Hi Ian

It probably depends on the year, possible even the day. Don't confuse artistic licence with constant changing rules and regulations, and the unbelievable quantity of paperwork needed to take any military vehicle a 1/4 mile down the road.

Home Guard vehicles fell into two main categories, Official Issue and Local purchase, later in the war each HG Battalion received several Army machines, usually obsolete models like the Matchless G3L and Aerial WNG :wink:

And I understand it was illegal to waste military paint on civilian vehicles but it did happen.

This is from the 1942 Home Guard Regulations







Here are some Official machines with and without the markings.

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

Hello Ian,

i've looked at some home guard pictures of motorbikes for my Royal Enfield, markings are indeed rare. I believe most motorcycles weren't marked because most of them were private property (registered civillian motorcycles from local volunteers). At the early stages of the war, the home guard was quite undergeared. The only picture i found of ''marked'' motorcycles is the well known one of the Ariel combinations.

Here's another picture of a motorbike carrying the ''HG'' marking.
https://www.gosportsociety.co.uk/Batch%204%20078.jpg

regards,

Niek

email (option): niek.baecke@telenet.be

Do you mean this one Niek? Have you got a better resolution? I've never noticed any markings. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron,

Yes that's the one. Same photo can be found in the IWM archives. Not much markings really, only a number ''2'' on the sidecar (Maybe a convoi number?). i'm not sure if there's anything on the front mudguard of the bike?

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197683

regards,

Niek

email (option): niek.baecke@telenet.be

Some more information...

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Thanks everyone...Excellent information!....Ian

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

Thanks Niek that's a much better pic. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Though car related, this head light was rescued from an council yard clearance, along with an enamel shelter sign, some form of early unofficial HG marking I presume.

Hahaha 😂 biggest joke, G3L's used by the Home Guard, the bike that won the war!!!

Cheers, Lex

email (option): welbike@welbi😜😜.net

The Yanks say it was the WLA.:interrobang: Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Here in Devon the pre war outfits (at least one was a VB) shown above were supposedly lost when Exeter was blitzed in 1942.

Elsewhere in Devon Torbay HG got some early G3Ls.

Rob

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