British Home Guard

[PF]

Is it true that when the British Home guard was mustered out in 1944 they were not awarded any decorations-such as the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Medal_ ... %80%931945 or the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939-1945_Star but only the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Medal?

[phylo_roadking]

Quite correct. And even THAT is not the whole story - for the Defence Medal was ONLY available to men who had completed three years' service in the home defence role!

On top of THAT...they weren't automatically issued with it - they had to request it! A government survey in 1947 revealed that across the county, the take-up of the medal had been by only between 30 and 40% of those entitled to it!

There was a suggestion made at the time of a specific Home Guard medal, but it never materialised.

Two things should be remembered; many of the men who served in the Home Guard believed that as they hadn't served at any front they didn't deserve a campaign medal as such...and also in those days of rationing, many I'm sure found the multi-course slap-up turkey dinners their towns, cities and local authorities put on for them at Stand-Down was more of a reward than a medal they didn't think they deserved

[PF]

Link to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Me ... Kingdom%29

[Andy H]

They were issued with a certificate.

Medals are nicer and more tangeable than certificates but in the end they all end up in the back of a draw-mine certainly are-I suppose one day my kids may ask about them.

Regards

Andy H

[phylo_roadking]

Reading Lavery's "We Shall Fight On The Beaches" this week, a thought came to me...

...don't be shocked, it does occasionally...

The YOUNG men who went into the Home Guard as 16 year olds...eventually were Called Up. And from the 1942 National Service Act amendment joining the Home Guard at that age became compulsory for them, as a year's pre-service before the Regulars of whatever flavour - they came home with their real Service medals at the very least; or...of course...didn't come home at all

It was the OLDER members of the Home Guard, those too old for Call Up by WWII that thus had the longest service in the Force - from May 1940 through to the Autumn of 1944. And yet - conversely - it was they who were most likely not to WANT to send for their medal/certificate - for the majority of them were likely to have been WWI veterans....in other words men who had REALLY "Seen The Elephant".

[Matt Gibbs]

Just a little addition to the thread as I only just noticed it The Home Guard, or members of it, were awarded several "decorations". In medal parlance a decoration is a gallantry award, wheras the two mentioned in post 1 are campaign medals. I know this probably comes across as picky but its helpful to appreciate the difference in the terminology. Quite a number of Home Guards recieved the OBE, MBE, BEM and others. There was even one early on who recieved the Military Medal. Several recieved the George Medal for saving life. There is a small book called Hazardous Work which lists the gallantry type awards. It does not include the stand down good service awards which partial listings for can be found on the web. As the Home Guard had a reasonable percentage of ex WW1 servicemen in it there was atually quite a colourful array of medal ribbons to be found in it during its time!
regards
Matt

[The_Enigma]

Some had also fought the fuzzy wuzzies

[Matt Gibbs]

Ha! True, but not very many. In my local home town paper there is an article about a Home Guard NCO who had medals from 1897. Also I recall reading about a section in a small rural village which had 6 men, 5 were apparently retired General Officers.