At the end of the Second World War, various Home Guard units published service histories explaining the part they played in the defence of the nation. Home Guard historian Austin J Ruddy explains the appeal and historic value of these collectable unit histories.
MILITARIA COLLECTING
The unusual booklet The Lion Roared His Defiance (Marten & Son Ltd, 1945, £55) told the war story of Britain’s Home Guard, acted out through photographs posed by members of the 10th (Sudbury) Battalion.
(ALL PHOTOS VIA AUSTIN J RUDDY UNLESS NOTED)
PERHAPS IT’S due to their relative scarcity but many people, including some book dealers, do not realise there are even such things as Home Guard (HG) unit histories. About half a dozen relatively common editions appear at militaria and book fairs, but others still come to light and, intermittently, new works continue to be published.
