
I remember standing on top of our local glen with a block of wood expecting thousands of Germans coming down from the sky. What was I going to do with the block of wood? I never knew." (Leonard Jackson). On 22 June 1940 France surrendered to Germany & the invasion of Britain seemed a very real possibility. The Home Guard was formed to defend our villages & towns. Members came from reserved occupations those who had failed their medicals the elderly & the young with miners & farmers training alongside former majors. Their weapons & ammunition were negligible at first but slowly these amateur soldiers began to produce professional results. In this unique book of reminiscences we see these men as they practise with pitchforks & fall into ditches after a pint or two of ale on the job. But we also see them learning how to fire grenades after a day studying engineering & undertaking night watches after exhausting factory shifts
- knowing they could be the last stop between the enemy & their families & homes."