The Legacy of the Home Guard: How Their Activities Could Pose a UXO Risk Today

The Home Guard, sometimes referred to as the “Dad’s Army”, played a crucial role in defending the British Isles during World War II. Composed of volunteers who were either too young, too old, or otherwise exempt from regular military service, the Home Guard was tasked with protecting the country from potential invasion. At its peak, it had over 1.7 million members, all of whom were volunteers.

While the Home Guard’s efforts were vital to the war effort, some of their activities have left a hidden legacy that could pose a risk today: unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The Role of the Home Guard During WWII

Formed in May 1940 in response to the imminent threat of German invasion, the Home Guard was often referred to as the “last line of defence.” By July of that year, nearly 1.5 million men had enrolled. Originally called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), the force’s name was changed to the more inspiring “Home Guard” by Winston Churchill.

This volunteer force had a wide range of responsibilities, from defending key infrastructure and patrolling coastlines to preparing for potential enemy landings. Factories and railway networks were considered high-priority sites, often with their own Home Guard units for protection. The Home Guard also manned roadblocks, operated anti-aircraft guns, managed searchlights, and patrolled against the threat of German paratroopers and seaborne invasions – a serious concern following the fall of Dunkirk.

Initially, the Home Guard was poorly equipped and had to make do with scarce and often make-do uniforms and weaponry. There were only enough rifles for about a third of the volunteers; the rest had to rely on shotguns, sporting rifles, or makeshift weapons like golf clubs or knives attached to broomsticks. This shortage was due to the government prioritising the re-equipment of the army after much equipment had to be abandoned in Dunkirk.

However, as the war progressed, the Home Guard evolved into a more well-equipped and trained force. Despite being volunteers with regular jobs, they organised themselves efficiently, often appointing their own officers and developing their own processes and structures. Some units even held elections to appoint their leaders, reflecting the rapid and somewhat chaotic formation of this essential defence force.

The Dad’s Army

The Home Guard earned the nickname “Dad’s Army” due to the older age of many of its members, who were often veterans with previous military experience and deemed too old to serve in the regular army. However, contrary to popular belief, only about 40% of the Home Guard had prior military experience, most of it from World War I.

The term will also be known to many thanks to the largely popular British television sitcom of the same name. The “Dad’s Army” aired from 1968 to 1977, humorously portraying a fictional platoon of Home Guard volunteers in the fictional small seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea. The series captured the quirky, often comical nature of these civilian soldiers, highlighting their camaraderie, mishaps, and the challenges they faced while preparing to defend Britain against a possible German invasion.

While the show was a comedy, it was based on real-life experiences and characters similar to those who served in the Home Guard. The program’s appeal lay in its affectionate portrayal of the older volunteers and the often under-equipped and unprepared nature of their efforts, emphasising a sense of community spirit and determination despite the odds.

Training Exercises, Improvised Devices and Unorthodox Tactics

One of the critical aspects of the Home Guard’s duties was training for combat. As a last line of defence, they needed to be prepared for any situation. This preparation included conducting live-fire exercises, setting up defensive positions, practising with explosives, and even engaging in mock battles.

Due to the lack of standard equipment, the Home Guard often resorted to improvised devices and unconventional tactics. They used everything from homemade bombs to experimental weapons like the “Sticky Bomb” – an anti-tank grenade that had a reputation for being as dangerous to its user as to the enemy.

One of the key weapons used by the Home Guard was the Self Igniting Phosphorus (SIP) grenade. Officially designated as the British Army’s No.76 special incendiary grenade, these were made of white phosphorus, benzine, water, and a strip of rubber contained in a half-pint glass bottle sealed with a crown stopper. By autumn 1941, over six million SIP grenades had been produced, thanks to their ease of mass production. These grenades were intended for use in the anticipated German invasion and were designed to be thrown by hand or projected using a simple mortar system. Upon impact, the bottle would shatter, causing the ingredients to oxidize and create a highly incendiary reaction.

The use of improvised devices, which were often unreliable and prone to malfunction, combined with training exercises conducted in rural areas such as coastlines and farmland, resulted in a significant amount of unexploded ordnance being left behind by the Home Guard following their disbandment in December 1945.

Post-War Clean Up Efforts

After the war, efforts were made to clear the country of UXO, but the focus was understandably on areas that had seen intense military training or areas that had been heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe. Many of the areas where the Home Guard trained and fortified were considered low-priority or overlooked entirely.

In addition to this, the Home Guard was notorious for its ill-disciplined storage and unauthorised disposal of ammunition. It was not uncommon for caches of ammunition to be buried in tactical positions, intended for use in the event of an invasion, only to be forgotten or deliberately abandoned. Following the end of the war, some Home Guard members opted to dispose of their weapons and ammunition by simply burying them, adopting an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.

As a result, UXO finds related to the Home Guard are relatively common in the UK. For instance, a box of 24 SIP grenades was discovered in a field in Suffolk in 2019, prompting the army to dig a 2ft trench to safely detonate them. The same year, engineers near Tongland Dam found 70 unexploded SIP grenades. Initially mistaken for old yellow milk bottles, one of the grenades began smoking upon being disturbed. In 2018, nearly 200 SIP grenades were unearthed at the site of a new ice arena in Cambridge, with warning notices on their crate indicating they were “fragile,” “highly flammable,” and required handling “with great care.”

There was even an incident involving SIP grenades near the Brimstone UXO Midlands office in October 2022, where a construction worker was badly burned after his digger unknowingly struck a crate of the devices.

Modern-Day UXO Risks

There is no doubt that the Home Guard played a vital role in the defence of the UK during one of its darkest hours, but their legacy still presents a real UXO risk today.

At Brimstone UXO, we understand the importance of identifying and mitigating the risks associated with UXO. Land that was once used for Home Guard training or any other military activity during the war should be assessed before development or excavation. Advanced detection technologies, combined with expert knowledge of historical military activities, are essential to ensuring these areas are safe.

To understand the UXO risk on your sites, reach out to our Commercial Team today.

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Thank you to The National Library of Wales for the images used in this blog.