Home Guard Radio
 

Hi all, I'm doing some research into the radio sets that were used by the home guard during the war. Now, I know someone out there will put me on the right track, but so far I have only found evidence of the Wireless Set No. 38 Mk11 in the Home Guard but, no doubt there were others since they had to have what was available at the time. So if anyone has any information that may be of interest to me and my group (Homefires Burning Re-enactment), we would be most grateful.
Cheers,
Pip G8NOP

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

I'm far from being an expert on this subject, but I don't believe home guard units were ever issued with radio equipment, as they didn't have signals training (though Auxiliary Units certainly had radios).

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

Wireless Set No 17 ??

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

The Home-Guard in Workington did indeed have radio AND were trained to use it. The Battalion Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Section of the 5th Battalion (Workington) Home-Guard took receipt of forty three radio sets (type unknown) in July 1942, and some time after 1944 were issued with, and trained, on a Type C58 long-range wireless set.

The above from the official Workington HG record, upon which I based my website on the defence of Workington during WWII.

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

I stand corrected.

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

I'm intrigured to know what a wireless set C58 was, it's not a radio I've encountered before,even amongst the post war "C" series sets. Given the date I'd suspect that they were issued with the Canadian 58 set, which would have been available in some numbers by then, but was hardly either high power or long range.

Hugh

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

So am I... That's all that is mentioned in the official record, written just after WWII, and when I was working on my website I wrote to, and interviewed several ex-HG members and captured their memories. But the one person whom I tracked down out of Intelligence and Signals section, and who may just have remembered wasn't prepared to talk about her time there. :(

The record is a compilation of heads of the different battalions and companies, and there's the odd error, especially with the roll-call of members and their companies. But perhaps back then, the radio sets may have been described differently to how they are referred to now. Your assumption sounds reasonable given some equipment was provided from Canada and the USA.

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

There were 600 WS-C58 sets issued to the Home Guard. This is the Canadian made manpack, hence the "C". The WS-C58 and WS58 are the same set. If you google ws58 there is a lot of info & photos around the web. In October of 1944 the sets were withdrawn from service as the Guard stood down in December.

Re: Home Guard Radio
 

I knew I had a document somewhere regarding this subject and finally found it. The last paragraph in this memo from the War Office confirms the use of the WS58.