The Norfolk Home Guard who were ready to fight Nazis

Some we knew as they operated in public view while there were others who never spoke about how they were preparing for a Nazi invasion across the county.

A book, *Standing Up to Hitler, The Story of Norfolk’s Home Guard and "Secret Army" 1940-1944*, written by Adrian Hoare in 1997, is an important slice of our history and the foreword was written by that "stupid boy" Ian Lavender of Dad’s Army fame.

Southrepps Home Guard during the Second World War (Image: Courtesy of the Southrepps Society)

Copies are still for sale.

"You will meet characters with the same backgrounds as Pte, Godfrey, Pte.

"Fraser and Jack Jones the Butcher: people recognisable as Capt.

"Mainwaring, Sgt Wilson, and – dare I say it?

"– Pte.

"Pike.

"The difference is Adrian Hoare’s people are real," he added.

Diss Water Tower will not be captured! Members of the Home Guard on duty in the town (Image: in the book Standing Up To Hitler with permission of Miss J Green)

"And as Adrian says: "Of course there were many amusing moments, as the personal memories in this book show.

"However, serving in the Home Guard, and even more running it, was a very serious business which was both demanding and time consuming."

Norfolk Home Guard started off, as it did in other parts of the country, as a very amateur force.

A new type of citizen’s army which in time became a highly professional and proficient military organisation.

Some of the men who served in the Home Guard in Norwich during the war. (Image: Courtesy of Jack Mickleburgh)

The force included the young and middle-aged, as well as the retired and elderly.

All offered to serve their country at a time of great danger in the struggle against tyranny.

And if Norfolk had been attacked by the Nazis, we can be sure that its Home Guard would have fought tooth and nail.

Within 48 hours of Anthony Eden’s radio broadcast to the nation on May 14 1940 urging men to join the Local Defence Volunteers (Home Guard) and within 48 hours thousands of men from across the county had enrolled.

On parade. Members of the Carrow Home Guard pictured at Lakenham Cricket Ground during the Second World War (Image: Mr D Varvel)

For example:

Norwich 1800.

Yarmouth 700.

King’s Lynn 431.

Cromer 130.

Sheringham 174.

Dereham 150.

Diss 50.

Wells 70.

Harleston 500.

Sandringham 396.

Downham Market and local villages 150.

And by the end of the month Norfolk LDV had more than 30,000 members.

The Eastern Evening News said the younger members would be given some military training before they signed up for regular service and Lt. Col. Barclay, later CO of the 1st Home Guard Battalion, based at Dereham, wrote to the EDP assuring readers that the character of Norfolk men would guarantee they would take delight in destroying the "locusts" (Nazis).

The Home Guard on duty at Mundesley in around 1940 (Image: submitted)

Within months units were organised and in training across the whole of Norfolk and in July of that year the Home Guard was officially adopted as the new name.

There were 1,300,000 members.

"All offered to serve their country at a time of great national danger in the struggle against tyranny.

"They paraded, went on guard duty and trained in all weathers, while continuing their normal day jobs," wrote Adrian.

"If Norfolk had been attacked by the Nazis, we can be sure its Home Guard would have fought fiercely.

Topcroft, Hardwick and Fritton Home Guard (Image: Standing Up to Hitler by permission of Mrs M Vincent)

"Later in the war, when more and more of our regular troops were fighting abroad they had every confidence that their families and homes were in safe hands.

"No higher compliment could be paid to the Home Guard," added Adrian.

Coming up. The story of The Norfolk Resistance. A Very Secret Army. They operated from underground bunkers, or Operational Bases, equipped with stores, firearms and explosives to last for several weeks.