Home Guard

the erm, uniform doesnt look authentic and the gun is wrong.

I'm just glad there's not a real war going on - these HG types would never get out of their 'barracks' to stop the German Invaders. They're too busy with needles, thread and discussing patches

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I must get this finished for the next event ..............................

Unrelated, but .......................

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" I say, darling, it says in this Action Hobbies catalogue that they now stock a RIS attachment for my pipe !"

"Oh, how simply super ! So much better than that beastly Molle rig, in 'Multi-Tweed' that you store it in now !"

I'm just glad there's not a real war going on - these HG types would never get out of their 'barracks' to stop the German Invaders. They're too busy with needles, thread and discussing patches

LOL yeah , i thought it was war , not a fashion show

And here I was thinking that it was a wwii re-enactment... you know... trying to get things right actually matters and stuff..

Chaps are quite welcome to take the angle that suits them, that is what 'inclusiveness' is. Some love dressing up, some love guns, some love history, some love outwitting their opponents, some like getting into the minds of the real soldiers of 70 years ago, some like the camaraderie, some like leaving the comfy life (or the wife!) behind for a couple of days. Whatever the angle (hopefully a bit of all of that list) players get out of an event what they put in, so its all good.

Well said Chomley... precisely. I don't "take the piss" out of others for the way they view the hobby so I don't see why I should be the butt of jokes about how I want to pursue the hobby.

I'm sorry if you felt that my post singled you out Richard, that was never the intention.

please accept my apology?

Del.. apology accepted..

Few useful/interesting ref. pics -

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Printed titles, and the bayonet cover still on the fixed bayonet !

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Good selection of rifles, however that's probably for the whole area !!

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Ready for anything ......................

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Watching for FJ nuns, with what looks like a P17 rifle (not a P14 as no brass id disc visible ?)

Colour -

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Nice pic, with Spigot mortar team

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They most definately won't like it up 'em !

Nice pics Joker!!

My Home Guard Insignia investigations have been advancing... Seems that May '41 is about the most confusing date there is!

The first batches of the battalion insignia went out in May '41 All was out by Sept '41... I doubt they went to Glasgow first, so those wouldn't be there for the time of this event. Luckily the chap I had ordered some from found this out for me and seems to have taken the cancelling of the order quite well...

So then I wondered about the "Home Guard" shoulder titles... as I'd seen these on BD without the battalion insignia. Apparently these were all issued and in the local stores by April '41. So they it's very likely that they could have had these...

Meh... I think I'm going to say "Chomley you win!!" though and just go with an arm band... it's not at all unlikely that that's what they would have had...

I have read someone say the SoF ones are pretty good... lol.

Also I've been noticing a few things about webbing... In the most part there isn't any! All the HG volunteer seems to have is leather anklets, leather belt, gas mask bag, water bottle in leather carrier and bayonet frog. Of course in some cases these are actually webbing rather than leather, but leather is more common.

So it's very possible and common to have very little kit at all... I suggest a very simple load-out as being:
BD or Denims (BD preferred)
Gas mask bag (Mk6 or Mk7... keep your stuff in this...)
Boots
Anklets (leather preferred, webbing okay.. blancoed or not, it doesn't matter)
HG arm band
FS cap, tam or MkII helmet.. (net optional)

That's not much stuff at all really!! No actual ammo carrying ability at all! They kept it in their pockets!

Optional extras:
Cap badge (Argyl and Sutherland Highlanders)
Water bottle in skeleton carrier. (leather '03 pattern carrier preferred. Other options are the later webbing '03 style or put a 37 pat carrier on the end of a single 37 pat cross strap for a look-a-like)
Belt (Leather '03 pattern preferred or webbing 37 pattern, though not having one at all might be preferable to having a 37 pat one.)
Bayonet and frog (leather '39 pattern frog preferred or 37 pattern version)
great coat
Full home guard webbing (add belt slider, cross straps, HG haversack, BAR pouches, maybe a single 39 pat utility pouch for long mags)

Personally I'll probably go over the top... heh, that's cos I'm a right tart...

No actual ammo carrying ability at all!

If, as indicated in the weapon reqs, this is a very restricted ammo event, neither side may need much ammo carrying capacity. I'd be interested in knowing just how restricted ammo is going to be, one basic load to last all weekend?

I was wondering about shelling out for some airsoft stick grenades for this one.

Cheers
Martin

Yes, the HG have very restricted ammunition as it is needed by the regular army. However, should an emergency be announced then there is an established chain of supply so it may well be possible to obtain replenishment (stocks are at Maryhill Barracks) - if the right paperwork is in place.

The chaps at Carnbooth Battery are in pretty much the same situation.

The interlopers carry as much as they are able but when its gone, its gone. There is a back up plan in place for resupply by air drop but the likelihood of that getting through are remote.

I would have though that the 'Naz-zis' would have had grens, along with the smg's & pistols to give the maximum explosive firepower, with least bulk. The HG certainly would have been pushed to have more than a few old dinner plates to lay as 'anti-tank traps'. Molotov cocktails would have been around but again, if we have bottles of petrol/parrafin at the event, the locals will drink them ................ !!

I think that your pretty much right, Yith, re the supply chain. South Coast area as the 'front line' would have got kitted out first, with fire power being the priority elsewhere, not 'unnecessary' items of clothing to replace the volunteers own - there was a war on you know !
The initial load was 5 rounds per rifle, I believe (not per volunteer), with the ammo (and rifle ?) being passed on to the next bod when the watches changed over. If you were lucky enough to have your own shotgun, then you would carry as much as you had/could make; single slug carts were made/issued - at close range, they can make a 'soft target' very unwell !

'Webbing' would have been whatever you had/could blag. You can't help but think of Dad's Army, because a lot of us grew up watching it (and still do, my daughter loves it !), as a visual 'reference point'. Ignoring the bino pouches for ammo (bought due to budgetry constraints, in the same way that Ultimate Force used black fishing/photo vests instead of proper Ops vests ), Jones started out in his old WW1 Service Dress (with a spear and/or bayonet), Fraser wore dark (tweed ?) trousers, a 'fisherman's jersey, thick dark jacket, and used a haversack/resi bag as his 'webbing'. The shooters would use their catch bag and shotgun bandoleer, the farmers whatever implements were to hand etc. Imho, for the HG element maybe 'less is more' ?

Should it be that HG don't wear full BD (serge or denim) for the event, with only the Regular forces having anything like full, proper kit ? Thus giving 2 distinct 'forces' as per SS and Heer/FJ ? Maybe this would encourage more 'irregular'/new players to the event as there's 'less to live up to' (sic), so long as the civvies used were contemporary looking, not obviously modern items ??

I'm struggling to find the 'right' items in decent sizes, being a 'gear whore' myself. If I'm honest I could turn out now in reasonable attire but part of the 'fun' for me is the preparation, and I suspect for others as well - it's not so much 'stitch counting' as enjoying your kit/hobby !

Should it be that HG don't wear full BD (serge or denim) for the event, with only the Regular forces having anything like full, proper kit ? Thus giving 2 distinct 'forces' as per SS and Heer/FJ ? Maybe this would encourage more 'irregular'/new players to the event as there's 'less to live up to' (sic), so long as the civvies used were contemporary looking, not obviously modern items ??

Kit guide laid out with thought and care for all to see and work to.
viewtopic.php?f=161&t=11544&p=178756

Joker... although the HG did indeed start with basically bugger all, we're now in May '41... things have moved on somewhat.

BD was issued to all by this time. Everyone had it by Spring '41 as concern over the use of thin and cold denims during the winter meant that getting it out was important. Yes, Spring was missing the boat somewhat, but they tried!

Gas Mask bags were certainly issued as this is the time of gas paranoia. Also thanks to the yanks, pretty much all had rifles... P14s or P17s usually.

Webbing is a lot more complicated to make than BD or leather equipment. The machinery to weave it is more specialised. BD could be made by any tailor really. That's why HG didn't get 37 pattern webbing that much and instead got the leather equipment, but did get the nice serge BD.

In actual fact the south coast wasn't always the first to get things and it was quite random... the East Coast was also a possible worry as Germany had just taken Norway as well so they'd probably get stuff early too.

... part of the 'fun' for me is the preparation, and I suspect for others as well - it's not so much 'stitch counting' as enjoying your kit/hobby !

Ditto 100%!

Edit: Oh.. one thing that a HG re-enactor told me rings true with all this. On the outside you had to look uniform and fit in with everyone else (more or less...) ... under that you had to do it yourself. So no issue wool shirt, a nice cotton civvie one... Haversack would be full of civilian stuff, not army issue, etc...

Should it be that HG don't wear full BD (serge or denim) for the event, with only the Regular forces having anything like full, proper kit ? Thus giving 2 distinct 'forces' as per SS and Heer/FJ ? Maybe this would encourage more 'irregular'/new players to the event as there's 'less to live up to' (sic), so long as the civvies used were contemporary looking, not obviously modern items ??

Kit guide laid out with thought and care for all to see and work to.
viewtopic.php?f=161&t=11544&p=178756

CW - Acknowledged, was just thinking aloud, I'll shut up ! (no annoyance intended)

Yith, good points on the tailoring and leather working. Different sites seem to have have different info re the rifles, some suggest spring 1941, some say autumn .........

Your 'kit list' pretty much sums it up, then

I think that I'll run with denim trousers, and a greatcoat (even if it doesn't quite fit - it's not a fashion show ! ). Tam or FS, armband, leather belt (if I can find one at a reasonable price or '37patt, which I've already got) and a haversack/resi bag .................... oh, and 5 bb's in my pocket

Don't forget the belt is actually optional... and I did say that none might be preferable to having a 37 pat one! Plus anyway you wouldn't wear it on the outside of a greatcoat unless you had full webbing.