In May 1940, the government called up the Local Defence Volunteers force, for men who were either too old, too young, or too infirm to fight, or were in a reserved occupation. Later called the Home Guard, they trained as an armed civilian force to defend against possible invasion. Platoons or Companies in the area served under the 1st Somerset (Minehead) Battalion and were a rich mix of First World War veterans, farm and forestry workers, teachers and shop keepers, and even members of the clergy. The battalion’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel R D Alexander, lived at Doverhay House in Porlock, where he stored the battalion’s ammunition in a bunker in his garden. The Battalion was affiliated to the Somerset Light Infantry, and whose cap badge they wore.
Minehead
The following is a short snippet from John Vincent Forster, an evacuee from London who first went to Wedmore, then later Minehead. He joined the Minehead Home Guard when in was still in its early days in 1940, and previously called the 'Local Defence Volunteers':
"From Wedmore we were moved to Minehead where bigger school premises were available part-time. Another boy and I were billeted with a farmer and his wife a few miles out of town on the road to Porlock. He was semi-retired, and his wife had been a Methodist missionary in China. They were very kind; the house was very comfortable, and the food was good. My bicycle was sent down from London and I loved exploring the lanes and learning about birds and plants I’d never seen before. The house looked out at the edge of Exmoor, and we saw red deer from time to time. I helped with the poultry, not always a pleasant job on freezing mornings, and I once helped take a big flock of sheep miles along the road to the marshes on the other side of Minehead. I loved being in the country and around the farm and, being a town boy, my ambition soon changed to wanting to be a farmer. I had been in the Army Cadet Force at school so when volunteers were asked for the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) I put myself forward. One duty was to be stationed in a tent on the top of North Hill, a remote and wild place just outside Minehead, where all you could hear was the wind, the sea and the occasional drone of a plane. Our job was to be on the lookout for German parachutists, and when we heard a plane we gripped our hockey sticks, for that was all we had as weapons!"
"From Wedmore we were moved to Minehead where bigger school premises were available part-time. Another boy and I were billeted with a farmer and his wife a few miles out of town on the road to Porlock. He was semi-retired, and his wife had been a Methodist missionary in China. They were very kind; the house was very comfortable, and the food was good. My bicycle was sent down from London and I loved exploring the lanes and learning about birds and plants I’d never seen before. The house looked out at the edge of Exmoor, and we saw red deer from time to time. I helped with the poultry, not always a pleasant job on freezing mornings, and I once helped take a big flock of sheep miles along the road to the marshes on the other side of Minehead. I loved being in the country and around the farm and, being a town boy, my ambition soon changed to wanting to be a farmer. I had been in the Army Cadet Force at school so when volunteers were asked for the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) I put myself forward. One duty was to be stationed in a tent on the top of North Hill, a remote and wild place just outside Minehead, where all you could hear was the wind, the sea and the occasional drone of a plane. Our job was to be on the lookout for German parachutists, and when we heard a plane we gripped our hockey sticks, for that was all we had as weapons!"
Members of Minehead Home Guard at the old TA Training Centre in Minehead. Standing Sgt. John Martin. Seated the far side of John Martin is Malcolm Ferguson. Seated leaning forward with note book is Arthur F.C. Moody. Seated at the rear with cigarette is Jim Webber.
Minehead Post Office Platoon
The Minehead (Post Office) Platoon - The unit which was made up of employees of the Post Office/ telephone engineers and is pictured here outside of the Woman's Institute building in Post Office Lane, Minehead
(The building was demolished around 1955 and the site replaced with houses).
L to R Back Row: Dave Stoate, Gordon Edwards, John Bruford, Ray Howe, Ken Stoate, Dave Lloyd, Doug ?
Middle Row: Mr Nation, Eric Newcombe, Jim Hurley, Harry Stevens, Mr May, Mr Mason, Mr Double, Clem Williams, Unknown, Unknown, Bart Naylor
Front Row: Bert Reed, Mr Agas, Sgt. Gill, Unknown, Mr Moore, Mr Baggett (or Puttock)
(The building was demolished around 1955 and the site replaced with houses).
L to R Back Row: Dave Stoate, Gordon Edwards, John Bruford, Ray Howe, Ken Stoate, Dave Lloyd, Doug ?
Middle Row: Mr Nation, Eric Newcombe, Jim Hurley, Harry Stevens, Mr May, Mr Mason, Mr Double, Clem Williams, Unknown, Unknown, Bart Naylor
Front Row: Bert Reed, Mr Agas, Sgt. Gill, Unknown, Mr Moore, Mr Baggett (or Puttock)
Porlock
No 1 (Porlock) Company Home Guard at their base of Court Place Farm, Porlock, in 1944
L-R Rear Row: Unknown, Bill Keal, Raymond Keal, Stan Hooper, Unknown, Bill Thomas, Bill Thomas snr, Bill Tame, Jeff Farrant, Tom Harris.
5th Row: Revd. J A Smart, Jack Mead, George Hill, Cecil Westcott, Bill Chiswell, Patrick Joyce, Bert Tancock, Harry Rawle, Reg Huntley, Charlie Brooks.
4th Row: Tom Sully, Bert Gibbons, Alf Keal, Sid Rawle, George Bushen, Vivian Langrish, Francis White, Clifford Barwick, Herbert Kingdon, Henri Webb.
3rd Row: Unknown, Arthur Ward, Jack Farmer, Ernest Sully, Fred Kent, Dudley Richards, Peter Leach, Sid Gibbons, Fred Middleton.
2nd Row: (Sergeants): Jim Wilson, Sid Ferris, Bill Yeandle, Sidney Bass, Bill Glasco, Fred Willicombe.
Front Row: (Officers): Captain Bill Parsons, Major Sandford, Lieutenant Hugh Webber.
L-R Rear Row: Unknown, Bill Keal, Raymond Keal, Stan Hooper, Unknown, Bill Thomas, Bill Thomas snr, Bill Tame, Jeff Farrant, Tom Harris.
5th Row: Revd. J A Smart, Jack Mead, George Hill, Cecil Westcott, Bill Chiswell, Patrick Joyce, Bert Tancock, Harry Rawle, Reg Huntley, Charlie Brooks.
4th Row: Tom Sully, Bert Gibbons, Alf Keal, Sid Rawle, George Bushen, Vivian Langrish, Francis White, Clifford Barwick, Herbert Kingdon, Henri Webb.
3rd Row: Unknown, Arthur Ward, Jack Farmer, Ernest Sully, Fred Kent, Dudley Richards, Peter Leach, Sid Gibbons, Fred Middleton.
2nd Row: (Sergeants): Jim Wilson, Sid Ferris, Bill Yeandle, Sidney Bass, Bill Glasco, Fred Willicombe.
Front Row: (Officers): Captain Bill Parsons, Major Sandford, Lieutenant Hugh Webber.
The Porlock platoon met for drills each Tuesday evening and Sunday morning at their HQ at Court Place Farm, Porlock. Shooting ranges were set up on Ley Hill and grenade training took place on Bossington Beach. Daytime and night exercises were staged with other platoons. There was a permanent Home Guard post on Porlock Hill, based in a cottage opposite Culbone Stables, keeping a constant watch for invading forces. A mounted patrol also toured the moors. The local Home Guard was never called into action, and they were finally stood down in November 1944 once the threat of invasion had finally passed. However, William John 'Jack' Robins was killed whilst on duty in February 1941. He was cycling home to Bossington after a Sunday morning drill in Porlock, when his bicycle was in collision with a car. 'Jack' was rushed to Minehead Hospital with severe injuries and died from internal bleeding the following evening. He was aged 30 years.
Porlock Weir
Porlock Weir Home Guard
L-R Rear Row: Ernest Pollard, Alfred Cook, Arthur Lee, Victor Manley.
Front Row: Cpl. Bruce Baldwin, George Garnish, Capt. Bill Parsons, Sgt. Jack Roberts, Henry Pollard.
L-R Rear Row: Ernest Pollard, Alfred Cook, Arthur Lee, Victor Manley.
Front Row: Cpl. Bruce Baldwin, George Garnish, Capt. Bill Parsons, Sgt. Jack Roberts, Henry Pollard.
Selworthy
Selworthy Home Guard pictured outside the Stables, at their HQ at Holnicote House, Selworthy (Circa 1942)
L-R Rear Row: Arthur Henry Kingdon, Ted Rowlands, Jack Gould, Philip Moore, Harold Prescott, Albert Stark, Arthur George Moor, Wallace Harding.
L-R Centre Row: George Davis, Reg Tame, Stafford Miles, Dick Creech, Eddie Keal, Robert Williams, Tom Farmer, William Tame, Leonard Bennett, John 'Jack' Farmer.
L-R Front Row: Mervyn Arscott, Walter Bellamy, Sidney Webber, Bill Gunter, John 'Jack' Thomas Kingdon, Thomas 'Tom' Henry Rawle, Jack Crockford, Thomas Hill, Tony Hale, Percy Sedman, Clifford Clarke.
Missing from the photo is Company Sergeant James 'Jim' Farmer who, in December 1941, was fatally injured during training at Holnicote House when a Thompson submachine gun was fired accidentally. He died of his injuries at Minehead hospital, aged 41years.
L-R Rear Row: Arthur Henry Kingdon, Ted Rowlands, Jack Gould, Philip Moore, Harold Prescott, Albert Stark, Arthur George Moor, Wallace Harding.
L-R Centre Row: George Davis, Reg Tame, Stafford Miles, Dick Creech, Eddie Keal, Robert Williams, Tom Farmer, William Tame, Leonard Bennett, John 'Jack' Farmer.
L-R Front Row: Mervyn Arscott, Walter Bellamy, Sidney Webber, Bill Gunter, John 'Jack' Thomas Kingdon, Thomas 'Tom' Henry Rawle, Jack Crockford, Thomas Hill, Tony Hale, Percy Sedman, Clifford Clarke.
Missing from the photo is Company Sergeant James 'Jim' Farmer who, in December 1941, was fatally injured during training at Holnicote House when a Thompson submachine gun was fired accidentally. He died of his injuries at Minehead hospital, aged 41years.
Cutcombe (Wheddon Cross)
Cutcombe (Wheddon Cross) Home Guard
Dulverton
Brompton Regis (previously called Kingsbrompton)
Winsford
Winsford Home Guard