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Home Guard in Manchester

Started by Tatsgirl, August 26, 2009, 11:21:30 PM

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Tatsgirl

I have been told by my mum that her father who was a WW1 veteran was in the Home Guard in WW2. She says he was resonsible for training recruits and was one of the few members who had a gun, her mother found the gun and returned it to the Home Guard after his death in April 1942. My mum was only 10 at the time and her memory is sketchy so I am trying to find out more information if I can. I don't like to ask Mum too many questions as she has been ill recently and sometimes wants to talk about her childhood and sometimes finds it upsetting, I just listen getting more and more intrigued when she does talk about her dad.

They lived in Fulford Street, Old Trafford I was wondering where my grandad's branch of the Home Guard was likely to have been based and if they would be considered part of the Manchester Regiment. According to Mum he was the local park keeper, but she hasn't said which park, any locals got any ideas? She also said the Home Guard gave him a military funeral when he died and remembers being impressed by the number of people who were there.

I'm attaching a photo which I think is of my grandad when he was in the Home Guard, sorry if the quality is not good it is a scan of an already scan photo. His name was Wilfrid Dale.

Denise


george.theshed197

Hi there Denise,
I cannot answer any of your questions other than the one about 'which park' - Fulford Street was just across the road from Seymour Park, it ran between Northumberland Road and Henrietta Street, there is also another smaller park Hullard Park just down the road, so I would hazard a guess that he was Park Keeper of one of these , most likely Seymour which was the larger one. The Home Guard were totally separate from the Regular and TA forces so it is unlikely that they were attached to the Manchester Regiment the nearest being Ardwick Green, the 8th Bn. There were several TA Barracks in the area at which they may have been based, the R.E's on Seymour Grove, The R.A.S.C. on Upper Chorlton Road, as also the  Duke of Lancasters Own Light Yeomanry and on the corner of King's Road/Upper Chorlton Road was the R.A.M.C. and behind them the Royal Signals and R.M.P. on Norton Street. I would be inclined to check at Central Library to see what information they have on the local units of the HG or put a letter in the MEN asking for such details.
Hoping this is of some help,
Cheers,
George.

sphinx

Denise,

All Manchester based HG units were badged to the Manchester Regiment in WW2.

The 44th Lancashire HG were based in Stretford.

I dont know where they drilled.

regards

Tatsgirl

Thank you George and Sphinx for the information you have given, it helps to build the picture.

I hope to get to the Central library soon as there are several things I want to look up in the local papers but as I am not local to Manchester I am not sure when I will get there. I wish I had started this family history thing years ago when I lived in the North West and had more opportunity to visit places of interest. I even worked at Liverpool Record Office for a couple of years in th early 80s, but didn't take advantage of the opportunity apart from finding some of my mother's mother's relatives in some of the parish registers we held.

Thanks again

Denise

Tatsgirl

I finally managed to get to the Central Library on Monday and found my grandad's obituary in the April 30th 1942 edition of the Manchester Evening News. It confirms most of the things my mum already knew and had told me about but gave a little extra information. Even though he died 16 years before I was born I felt quite sad and very proud when I read it, I wish I had known him.

I have attached a scan of it for those who may be interested.

Denise


Tatsgirl

I forgot to say in my last post that I also found the family's notice of his death in another edition of the Manchester Evening News and it says that he was training officer of A company, Home Guard. It doesn't say where A company were based, I don't suppose it matters in the great scheme of things but if anyone has any idea I would like to know.

Denise