portraying manchester 48th home guard battalion

[bigred]

A number of us from the Manchester regiment living history group...we normally portray 1/8th battalion ww1 ,have decided to form a home guard unit based on the 48th battalion from Ardwick
any info ,photos ,insignia and helmet markings would be a great help. ...many thanks in advance

[PhilipG]

Bigred,

That seems an interesting project.   I wish you every success.  My connection with Ardwick is that I was sometimes on "fire watching"duties at an office near the Apollo cinema in 1941.    I particularly remember the words "Always Ready" depicted high up on the barracks building.       Regards,  PhilipG.             

[bigred]

Thanks philipG

     for your good wishes I have already started putting the uniform together.i have picked up a manchesters cap badge and printed home guard shoulder insignia
the basic equipment is all available as reproduction items,,i don't like damaging original items

can I ask you what you took with you for a nights fire watch …. etc torches anything you carried really I want to include all the small personel items
what food if any did you take sandwhiches if so,what was your favorite or available during rations iam sure the home guard men and women carried similar... books are fine but you cant beat hearing personal experiences

thanks again for your help 

[Tim Bell]

Quoting my Dad's recollections of his father as Fire Watcher on the Town Hall

"Dad and his team were accordingly issued with the following equipment: a black steel, (or “tin”), helmet lettered A.R.P. (for Air Raid Precautions); a red bucket, which was to be filled with sand, and (for “ordinary” fires) a hand-operated stirrup (not syrup) pump."

Grandad was hospitilised after limiting the damage to the East Wing from an incendiary bomb on 23/12/1940.

[bigred]

thank you tim bell

 these small recollections are what keep these people and what they did to protect this city alive,some may be only snippets but are a gold mine

    thank you to you, and your grandad for saving such a magnificent building

[Timberman]

Hi Bigred

I can't help with your question but have you seen this web site?

http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/J10GeneralInformationReenactmentGroups.htm

Neil

[bigred]

Thanks Neil

      yes I have.... I know a few faces from the living history shows

[PhilipG]

Tim,

I assume that your grandfather was on "fire watching" at Manchester Town Hall during the Manchester blitz.  A brave man.   I was 16 at the time and spent two freezing nights in our air raid shelter, my father disappearing on his Air Raid Warden duties to return from time to time to see that we were OK.    I was abroad at the time, but I believe in 1944 Heinkel 111's visited the city launching V1's.  Even at this length of time, the proceedings on those nights and the months following are still quite vivid.  Amazingly, I still went to work each day despite the blitz. It was the thing to do. 

Bigred,

My knowledge of the Home Guard is limited.  I do recall that when first issued with uniforms these were "denims".  Previous to that the recruits wore arm bands with the letters LDV thereon.  I recall that they were issued at one time with Canadian Ross rifles and "Tommy Guns" of the era of Chicago gangsters.   
PhilipG.