Dad's Army: What Was It Like To Serve In The British Home Guard?

[@robertthomas1717]

There's no one more riled up than someone seeing an enemy force trying to take your home town. Fair play to those brave citizen soldiers.

[@ronniew3229]

If England had been invaded would they be called, A. Freedom fighters B Insurgents C. Terrorists

[@borninvincible]

That's hilarious considering that's exactly what the British empire did for centuries 😂

[@user-pn9db8sm5w]

This was before my time but I can feel it, as if I was there. It's amazing how the people of Great Britain came together to take on extra jobs for country, actively protect, and ready to fight an ememy if they were invaded. Watching this program I felt proud for them. Sad to say, in many countries this might not be the same these days. So much fighting between citizens over politics, religion, any number of subjects. You'd hope citizens could put it all aside and work as one.

[@annehersey9895]

Actually, the Home Guard was a stroke of genius by Churchill. By having an organization for defense if the .Nazi’s ever did invade the Island, the Guard would at least slow them down. Often both father and son were in it together which brought them closer in a special relationship. It made the elderly feel useful and gave teens a start in marching, drills, weaponry etc. so that when they were called up, they would have a bit of a head start!

[@behindthespotlight7983]

9:29 There was a program in 1940-41 that advertised in American gun magazines. Privately funded freight shipments were enacted whereby sportsmen and veterans of WW1 in the US were solicited to send every type of equipment from bird guns to binoculars, deer rifles to Boy Scout mess kits over to England for donation to the Home Guard. A moment or two of research on any search engine (except google) will yield images of full page ads asking for donations of everything from .32 auto pistols to shotgun shells. Few today realize how close the British Isles came to being invaded and occupied just as the Guernsey Islands were, directly off the coast of France. If this interests you watch “Another Mother’s Son” (feature film 2017).

[@johnstephens8303]

Great video, especially that from the horses mouth. Loved the commentaries on the WW2 News Films, keeping the dogs out of the field for camouflage training etc.

[@died4us590]

Both my grandpa's and my uncle's served in wwll, and my maternal grandpa was my best friend, he once told me i saved his life. After having open heart surgery for the second time, he was having trouble getting through the recovery, so i helped him more than i usually did, and he told me thing's about the war that he had never spoken about. My grandpa was a medic, and saw some really bad stuff, along with helping liberate a concentration camp after the invasion of Normandy. He served over 4 year's, and he returned to England several time's after the war, he really liked the British soldier's and people he met. He didn't like the whole royalty bit, i guess some of the guy's he talked to didn't care for them either, but they did respect Churchill. That generation were the best, most of them are gone now, and i know they would have a lot to say about the way the world is being run right now. G-d bless.

[@shaunmcclory8117]

My pop and his home guard platoon set up their command post in the Hare&Hounds public house in Sheffield!👍😂

[@minuteman4394]

My father and his pals did the same in the Ring o` Bells He He !

[@jimpooley2672]

@@minuteman4394 wise men all

[@jokodihaynes419]

"We're doomed doomed"-Pvt Frazier Dad's Army

[@youdontneedtoknow6621]

After a watch of the series dvd boxset I was shocked to learn that was only said by him 4/5 times in all 9 seasons. Still surprises me given how popular that line is

[@davidjoseph3188]

Love dads army im 33 I've been watching classic TV since is was 15 . that was tv best ever not today all shi. on dont even know celebrities today 😂 only classic celebrities ❤

[@angloaust1575]

My father had to perform.home guard duties as well as his railway shift during ww2

[@ednammansfield8553]

In the 1980's a similar idea came about again and units called the Home Service Force was created by Margaret Thatcher due to the Russian threat to the UK back then during the Cold War. The HSF was formed from former military servicemen and women from all the Armed Forces Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force. Some of the HSF units also had former members of the special forces SAS, SBS and Parachute Regiment. I was also a member of the Home Service Force having served previously only three years before the HSF was formed in the RAF and I served at first with 15 Battalian RAOC at Donnington in Telford which was a regular army unit. We later were rebadged to a Territorial Army unit which was the Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry at Dawley Bank Army Reserve Centre in Telford. The Home Service Force was disbanded in June 1992. There is a memorial at the National Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire dedicated to the Home Service Force and all the regiments that they were part of. We would have been the last form of defence if the UK was invaded by Russian forces at the time. We were already highly trained ex military at the formation of the Home Service Force so an advantage that the Home Guard didn't have at their formation during WW2. Like the Home Guard though we all started out with the rank of private and officers and former NCO's were selected for each HSF unit. Our duties were to protect key points throughout the UK which would be targets for enemy forces in a case of invasion. Many of us still have reunions every year since we were disbanded in 1992 today. We were proud of the service we did.

[@lemmy6782]

My grandfather joined the army as soon as war declared. He hated the Germans he was a toddler when his dad, my great grandfather, was killed on the somme he was never found has no grave. My grandad was medically discharged he was deaf in one ear, so he joined the local steelworks home guard . He also served on the anti-aircraft guns on the mouth of the river tees. .I remember once finding some bottles with rags in them, he told me they were for German paratroopers, the petrol long gone from them .

[@mbak7801]

In the 1960s as a young child it was quite easy to come across blank and occasionally live .303 rounds in parks and along the side of footpaths. Most of this probably came from the Home Guard. I took a live round into school but the teacher told me to take it home and give it to my parents. Very sensible compared to the hysterical response you would get these days.

[@80sMod1]

Bless em all feel so proud of them watching this.

[@lordeden2732]

They were ten times funnier than the TV series so inept the Germans would have died laughing. They managed to kill loads of their own men during training.

[@richardrichard5409]

We shouldn't forget that most of the men whom served in the Home Guard, had already seen action in WW1, so they weren't complete rookies.

[@murrayscott9546]

Bless'm all.

[@camrenwick]

"They don't like it up em"

[@gijake1989]

Lazerpig, lazerpig When do we get your take on this?

[@markcolyer1989]

Really good thanks

[@jamesmichael3609]

They were never tested, so whatever we say is speculative. America had the "Angels" in the Pacific. Late 20s and 30s is somewhat younger than the Home Guard, but they absolutely terrorized the Japanese.

[@murrayscott9546]

The Blitz was not a test.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Hände hoch

[@skylongskylong1982]

Bring back the volunteer Home Service Force.

[@jameskelly7782]

DON'T PANIC!!!!!....DON'T PANIC!!!!!.....

[@bteuben-faber8215]

Thank you for this video. So good to see the spirit of the British in those years. Still gratefull for our liberation from the nazi's. From Holland with ❤

[@grantovenden2646]

Fantastic - thank you so much for sharing; I thought I knew about Dad's Army but who knew they had a roller skate division haahaa

[@lesklower7281]

Australia had a home guard my father served in Australia's home guard because the threat from Japan why my father was of Army age during WW2 it is the fact that he wore glasses and couldn't serve in the regular army but served in the home guard and he occupation was a school teacher

[@joeaustin4472]

"Stupid boy" - Capt Mainwaring 😁😁😁.

[@jokodihaynes419]

"Don't panic don't panic"-Corporal Jones Dad's Army

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

The majority of British people .they understood the political prospectives of their government, and they loved their kingdom . theirs governments duty call positively responded 👍🏻 by them .

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

The Hebrides Overture or id it the Unfinished Symphöny not sure!

[@colinjohn2708]

Good coverage tku. Loved most of the appropriate background music.

[@jamesbutler6253]

The skating section 😂😂😂

[@mickbutton3625]

I can't believe that out of 37k views only 748 people gave this a like :(

[@jameskelly7782]

God bless the LDV,and the Home Guard,.....and the sten did NOT kill more friendless than e enemies....Britain has lost it's firearm savvy culture.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Frank Pike always used to mention the Geneva Convention

[@willevans429]

thats right the sten didnt kill as many friendlies because the bloody thing hardly worked lolol

[@joec3840]

Anyone know the name of the song at the beginning ?

[@Kiwionwing]

In New Zealand A ferry ⛴️ was blown up by home guard because skipper got fed up by orders

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Captain Mainwaring

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Is John Le Meur speaking in this I mean 'Uncle' Arthur Wilson

[@Rob-e8w]

John le Mesurier died in 1983. According to the titles at the end of this video the narrator was Mark Adderley

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Dad's Army.

[@patrickrichards2577]

✨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✨🥰✨👍✨♥️✨🤗✨.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Cromwell?

[@Wobbler619]

It wasn't really like it was portrayed in Dad's Army. Many fit 40somethings who would have been WW1 combat vets plus 17 year olds doing some basic military training before being called up.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Wilson 😅

[@mwalsh5757]

The Skating Section! 🤣 OMG! I’m dying! Pythons couldn’t have done better!

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Jonsey and Mrs Fox

[@wondledonkey]

So like PDF from Warhammer 40k

[@660einzylinder]

Shame the fellow demonstrating the Sten could hold it correctly.

[@stuartmcnaughton1495]

My uncle was wounded while serving in the Home Guard. His unit was practicing firing live rounds into the sea, but they didn't realise there were underwater rocks there until a ricochet came back and hit him in the leg.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

PIkey

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

What were the women doing? welding?

[@KimMarsh-c4n]

Well my Mum was.

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

and the women lost their jobs as welders!

[@grahamlait1969]

Why is it that we never examine the reality of the Home Guard but exalt it nevertheless? The fact is that the Home Guard was the largest volunteer army the world had ever seen that never saw any action at all, never killed any enemies and killed exclusively it's own members and members of the public it was supposed to protect in training exercises... and did it at huge expense to the war effort. It was a complete waste of money and effort in reality. These are the facts and indisputable. Why is it that patriotic Brits are unable to see that entirely obvious truth?

[@mwalsh5757]

People be all like, “Poland, Poland, Poland. 1939… blah, blah, blah…” What about the Sudetenland in 1938? That was the start of WWII!