Wiltshire Home Guard
Living History Group
5TH BATTALION, SWINDON
Date Raised | 16 May 1940 |
Commanding Officer | Col. B.L. Birley, D.S.O. (12 Mar. 1943, ill health resigned); Lt.-Col. A.E. Beswick |
Approximate Strength | over 2,000 (April 1943) |
Companies | 9 (10 before formation of 13th Bn.) |
Salute at Stand Down Parade Taken by | Maj.-Gen. Laurie, C.B., C.B.E. |
COMPANIES | ||
Battalion H.Q. | C: South-Eastern | G: Electricity Power Station |
H.Q. Company | D: Post Office Company | H: Gas Works |
A: Western | E: Garrard's Factory | J: [ ] |
B: South-Western | (F: Great Western Railway) |
Battalion H.Q.
Commander: Lt.-Col. Birley, D.S.O.; 12 Mar. 1943 Lt.-Col. A.E. Beswick
Strength [ ]
Headquaters: Civic Offices; 1943 45 Regent Street
SECTIONS - Strength & Commander/s
Section strength is unknown, as is the name of the Press Officer. If you are able to assist please contact us
Signals | Lt. W. Wheeler | |
Intelligence | Lt. R.J. Naish | |
Transport | Lt. C.H. How | |
Ammunition | Lt. H. Williams | |
Press Office | [ ] | |
Medical Office | Maj. O.B. Pratt, M.B. | |
Liaison Office | Capt. D.H. Maclean | |
Military Band | Bandmaster Wood |
OFFICERS
Lt.-Col. Birley, D.S.O. | Lt. C.H. How | |
Lt.-Col. A.E. Beswick | Lt. H. Williams | |
Maj. J.B.L. Thompson | Bandmaster Wood | |
Maj. O.B. Pratt, M.B. | [ ] Rev. L.A. Erett | |
Capt. D.H. Maclean | [ ] L.F. Cheyney | |
Lt. W. Wheeler | [ ] M. Cuss | |
Lt. R.J. Naish |
PAID CIVILIAN STAFF
Miss Macphearson | Mrs. Honeyman | |
Mrs. Turner |
AWARDS
O.B.E.
Lt.-Col. A.E. Beswick
H.Q. Company
Commander: S. Hirst; Capt. R.C. Budding
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: The Clarence Street Schools
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for H.Q. Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Capt. R.C. Budding |
[ ] S. Hirst |
A COMPANY (Western)
Commander: Maj. W.E. Russell, M.C.
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: The County Ground Hotel & Queenstown School; The Hutments, Dudmore Road
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for A Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. W.H. Russell, M.C. |
B COMPANY (South Western)
Commander: Dr. C.E. Jones; Maj. W.E.G. Ireland
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: Commonweal School
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for B Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. W.E.G. Ireland |
[ ] Dr. C.E. Jones |
C COMPANY (South Eastern)
Commander: Maj. J.C. Gilbert
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: The Lethbridge Road Schools; Gipsy Lane
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for C Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. J.C. Gilbert |
D COMPANY (Post Office Company)
Commander: T. Fenner; Maj. E. Blewitt
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: The Post Office
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for D Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. E. Blewitt |
[ ] T. Fenner |
Memories of Dudley Hancock WRJ0 74/12, 30 Aug. 1940 to 31 Dec. 1945 - courtesy of Kit Hancock: "On a warm summers evening in July Private Jack Haslam and I were on guard duty outside the Post Office Exchange. We had just finished our 2 hour guard duty and we went into the exchange to discharge the unspent clips from our rifles. Jack took his clip out and raised the barrel of his rifle and all of a sudden there was a loud bang and a whole in the ceiling!!" "We use to do our shooting practice in the GPO pole yard on a Monday evening. It was here that we had made up targets to shoot at. That was until our SGT discovered a pond at the very bottom which had a good population of wild ducks and geese and our shooting practice subsequently changed from a Monday to a Friday!!" "Whilst on Manoeuvres in Timberscombe with many other Home Guard units from across the South West we went on a Training exercise which involved camping over night. Myself and PVT Syril Hodgekins pitched our tent at the top of the field and went off to sleep. We woke up the next morning and the tent was at the top of the field and we were down at the bottom!!" "The whole 5th Wiltshire battalion were assembled at the Gas Works to do a parade down the high street. We had been marching for about half a mile when the leading platoons Major shouted halt. We had marched down the wrong road and we had to back the whole parade up back to the start point!!" |
E COMPANY (Garrard's Factory)
Commander: H.V. Slade; Maj. Parrett
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: Garrard's Engineering Works
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for E Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. Parrett |
[ ] H.V. Slade |
F COMPANY (Great Western Railway) - 1 May 1943, transferred out to form nucleus of new 13 Bn.
Commander: Maj. S. Dyer
Strength 17 officers & 623 other ranks (1 May 1943)
Headquarters: Great Western Railway Works
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for F Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. S. Dyer | Lt. C.W. Leader |
G COMPANY (Electricity Power Station)
Commander: Maj. A.E. Beswick; 12 Mar. 1943 Maj. P.S. Richards, M.B.E.
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: Rodbourne Cheney Schools
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for G Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. A.E. Beswick | [ ] Mr. Mazzolini |
Maj. P.S. Richards, M.B.E. | [ ] Mr. Smith |
[ ] Mr. D. Sims | [ ] Mr Warminger |
[ ] Mr. F. Pryor |
H COMPANY (Gas Works) (assumption based on Works Depot)
Commander: C.H. Chester; Maj. W.N. Knight
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: Canteen Buildings - Gorse Hill Gas Works and Gorse Hill Schools; Works Depot
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for H Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. W.N. Knight |
[ ] C.H. Chester |
J COMPANY (unknown)
Commander: Maj. W.H. Haydon
Strength [ ]
Headquarters: Drill Hall, Swindon
PLATOONS - Strength & Commanders
We do not have any platoon information for J Coy. If you have information relating to platoons, strength, commanders and members please contact us
OFFICERS
Maj. W.H. Haydon |
IMAGES
If you recognise anyone in these images, we'd love to hear from you. Also, if Pl. not shown, do you know which Pl.?
Swindon Home Guard - Are you able to assist with which Company /Platoon /Names?
Source: www.flick.com - Stephen Lewins
G Coy., Rodbourne Cheney Officers
Back L-R: Mr. D. Sims, Mr. F. Pryor, Mr. Mazzolini, ?, ?
Front L-R: Mr. Smith, Mr. P. Richards, Mr. Warminger
Source: www.swindonviewpoint.com
J Coy., Drill Hall
Source: www.swindonviewpoint.com
WEAPONS
Rifles loaned from Marlborough College;
Molotov bombs;
American Lewis guns;
By 1 Nov. 1944, 3,000 weapons:
Rifles;
Sten guns;
Grenades;
Northover Projectors;
Spigot mortars;
Smith guns;
2-pounder anti-tank guns
ANECDOTE (page 77)
"In the 'wee sma' hours the guard at the approach in the Old Town collected a man very intoxicated and quite incapable. While a member of the guard was endeavouring to find ways and means of getting the man to his home, the incapable one fell asleep on the side of the road, face downwards, arms spread outwards. A car containing an apoplectic gentleman was stopped who produced his identity card after considerable pressure all the time passing jeering remarks about the Local Defence Volunteers. On being informed that the guard's rifle was loaded he said, 'In any case you'd be too windy to fire the damn thing.' The guard, pointing to the prone one said, 'What about him?' The car drove off at a furious speed while the occupant muttered, 'It's rank murder.'"
SOURCES:
Data: Company and Platoon data derived from The History of the Wiltshire Home Guard 1940 - 1944, Major E.A. Mackay, T.D., D.L., J.P., published 1946
Swindon Home Guard image: www.flickr.com - Stephen Lewins
Rodbourne Cheney Officers, G Company image: www.swindonviewpoint.com
J Company, Drill Hall images: www.swindonviewpoint.com