Home Guard

The 4th Battalion of the Kentish Home Guard, in 1945, which had an average strength of 1,500 volunteers. Known at first as the Local Defence Volunteers, the British Home Guard grew to about 2 million volunteers who received basic training and some weapons to defend their home areas against the threat of invasion. Part-time service was eventually made compulsory for certain categories of civilians.

Unpaid force formed in Britain in May 1940 to repel the expected German invasion, and known until July 1940 as the Local Defence Volunteers. It consisted of men aged 17-65 who had not been called up, formed part of the armed forces of the Crown, and was subject to military law. Over 2 million strong in 1944, it was disbanded on 31 December 1945, but revived in 1951, then placed on a reserve basis in 1955. It ceased activity in 1957.

Its members worked at their normal occupations and undertook military training in their spare time. In 1940 they were armed with a motley collection of shotguns and privately-owned weapons, but by 1942 they were a well-trained body liberally provided with automatic weapons and light artillery.