An appeal for information
One area of investigation of the history of the Brockworth Aerodrome has been the wartime defence arrangements. Whilst a good amount has been learnt about the Barrage Balloon Squadron, Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gunners, Light Anti-Aircraft Gunners and also a searchlight battery information about the Home Guard arrangements are proving very illusive.
A War Diary entry for the 912 Barrage Balloon Squadron on 31 July 1941 records visiting officers for a meeting.
“Squadron entertained Members of the Army and Air Force Units comprising the Ground Defences of the Gloucester (sic) Aircraft Company, Colonel Styles, Area Defence Officer, Major Wilkinson 77th Light AA Regiment, Captain Smithin, Gloucester Aircraft Company Ground Defence, Major Homes, 5th Battalion Gloucester Home Guard, Major Barnard, Officer Comanding Defence, Gloucester Aircraft Company, Captain Peascy, Home Guard”
National Archives AIR27/2243
Unfortunately, this tells us nothing about the actual organisation of the defences, The most unusual name is Smithin and there is no record on the 1939 National Register of anyone within that name in the Gloucestershire area and wider searches only finds a Batchelor bank manager who died in 1930. Similar fruitless searches also draw a blank, 77 Light AA Regiment for example left the UK for India in 1942 and were later involved in the Burma campaign. We do though trace Major Barnard as Major R.G. Barnard officer commanding J Company of the 5th Gloucester Home Guard Battalion, which was the
Gloucestershire Archives has little about the Gloucester Home Guard the main item being some administrative records donated by the widow of the former battalion adjutant and absolutely nothing which refers to Brockworth or Hucclecote Home Guard. The battalion order book is an indexed book with pasted extracts from weekly battalion orders, from this we learn granular details mainly about administrative matters.
1According to a newspaper account of the 5th (Gloucester) Battalion of the Gloucestershire Home Guard the peak membership was 3848. In May 1943 the War Office judged that an additional battalion should be created:-
- Authority has now been given by W.O. letter 5516/HG 1 dated 17 May 1943 for the formation of the new Bn which is to consist of the major part of “B” Coy “F” and “G” Coys 5th (Glos) Bn under the Command of Major J Lee
- Major J Lee is granted the acting rank of lt Colonel to command 19 Glos Bn H.G. pending receipt of command approval for his promotion
- Major A W King OC “B” Coy is appointed as 2nd in command of the 19 Glos Bn H.G.2
The designation of the three Coys transferred to the 19 Glos (Churchdown) Bn were:-
- “B” Coy 5 Glos HG becomes “A” Coy 19 Glos HG. It consisted of platoons at Churchdown, Hucclecote, Upton St Leonards and Longford
- “F” Coy 5 Glos HG becomes “B” Coy 19 Glos HG. It was a factory home guard based at Rotol in Churchdown
- “G” Coy 5 Glos HG becomes “C” Coy 19 Glos HG. It was a factory home guard based at Gloster Aircraft Company3
The other Home Guard unit that provided defence to the local area was the 105 Rocket Battery, and Anti-Aircraft unit created when Artillery units were withdrawn for other campaigns including Operation Overlord – which started with the D-day landings. This unit was affiliated to the 5th Battalion and men had been transferred from companies within what became 5th and 19th battalion. It had been formed under the command of Major Priday.4
The wind down of home defence was fairly rapid after D-Day and the Home Guard was stood down in November 1944 and a final parade of the 19th Battalion took place on 3 December 1944.
Clearly this is a very limited account of the activities of these Home Guard units and it would be appreciated if anyone has any information to add, please get in contact Chas@chastownley.com
- Gloucester Citizen – Saturday 30 September 1944 p 5 ↩︎
- Gloucestershire Archives D2095/1 Formation Order No. 155 dated 3. 6. 1943 para 2 ↩︎
- Gloucestershire Archives D2095/1 Designation Order No 164 dated 5. 8. 1943 para 3 ↩︎
- “Gloucester’s Home Guard Units”, Gloucester Citizen, 30 September 194,. p5. ↩︎