May 14, 1940, was considered the day the Home Guard started. This was the date when the Secretary of War, Anthony Eden, broadcast an appeal to the nation. The appeal was put out on the radio and called for all men between the ages of 17 and 65 to enroll in the Local Defence Volunteers. Their role was to act as a secondary defence force in case of invasion by the forces of Nazi Germany. The Home Guard were to try to slow down the advance of the enemy even by a few hours to give the regular troops time to regroup.
3RD BATTALION NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HOME GUARD
Under the Command of Col Berridge
‘A’ Comany – Capt Simson
No 1 Platoon – Lt Tompkins
Platoon Sgt – Sgt W G Robets
It is understood from Sheila Bembridge that the home guard base was in the sandhills on the Back Lane (now Orchard Lane). She remembers that there was also a search light camp on the top of the hill on the road leading to Nassington. (She says that the enemy tried to bomb the searchlight and three bombs landed in a field nearby.
One of our members recalls that the late Harry Spademan told him that the practice rifle range was in a field on the road to Apethorpe, but when the weather was inclement, they used to practise in the house at Apethorpe which belonged to their leader. The guns were kept at the Saddlery, and when the present owner purchased the property in 1978, he remembers the gun rack still being there with the mens’ names written on paper labels and stuck to the rack.
2021
- Conrad Wells 2. Harry Spademan 3. Jack Bellairs 4. A Watkins? 5. F Wise 6. J Hull 7.Sgt W G Roberts 8. H Pridmore 9. J Glover 10. Alf Pridmore 11. L Barfield 12. ? Reynolds 13. C Compton 14. Bill Fitzjohn 15. Jack Fitzjohn