Britain’s Darkest Hour LHG

18/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
The Company commander teaches the men ambush techniques prior to a field exercise.

17/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
The Company Headquarters at Chestnut Farm, Longwick, is a hive of activity. The organisation of around 400 men and their clothing, arming and equipping comes from here.
The adjutant works tirelessly to execute and document the orders and decisions of the Company Commander, everything from ringing round the platoons to enquire shoes sizes for the new issue of standard army boots, to liasing with the local constabulary for endorsed national registration cards and picket schedules.

Photographs courtesy of Mark Graham

11/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
BAR Gunner, Volunteer Wood, on picket engaging with a member of Civil Defence.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Graham

06/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
The Headquarters Platoon’s day starts with a briefing and inspection of the Company Commander.
The role of the H.Q. Platoon was to facilitate the smooth operation of the company, at this point in 1940 the platoon included runners for delivering orders (especially difficult as Bledlow section and Longwick section’s HQs didn’t have telephones!), drivers for delivering equipment, ammunition and other stores and men who’s responsible for the physical security of the headquarters.

05/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
The company Adjutant and company Commander of ‘A’ (Princes Risborough) Company, 4th Buckinghamshire Home Guard, plot the company’s disposition on an OS map in their Headquarters at Chestnut Farm, Longwick.
As far north as Haddenham and as far south as Bradenham, the company was charged with the defence of the approach to RAF High Wycombe, Bomber Command.

Photographs by Daz's Photography

05/05/2026

04/05/2026

Home Guard, September 1940:
Volunteer Kerr gets accustomed to the American P17 rifle.

Photographs courtesy of Daz's Photography

03/05/2026

We’ve had an incredible weekend at Middleton Hall & Gardens VE81 portraying the men of A Company 4th BUX Home Guard in September 1940.

26/04/2026

On the 2-3rd of May we will be putting on a display at Middleton Hall & Gardens, where we will be showing you how the fledgling Home Guard prepared for invasion in early September 1940.

Pictured here is a typical Volunteer of the Home Guard at Waterloo Station in sep. 1940. Dressed in denim overalls (with Home Guard patch), with a MKII helmet and armed with a P17 rifle, he guards a UXB on the platform waiting for the 'bomb squad' to arrive.

14/10/2025

Local Defence Volunteers undergo training, June 1940.

Britain’s Darkest Hour LHG