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MEMORIES and INFORMATION: 32nd Battn. (18)
32nd STAFFORDSHIRE
(ALDRIDGE) BATTN. -"E" COY.
ALDRIDGE
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Aldridge
was defended by
"E" Company of the
32nd
Staffordshire (Aldridge) Battalion whose C.O.
for much of the war was
Lt.-Col.
C. Cartwright, D.S.O., M.C.
(See the
Battalion area map - left - drawn by the
Battalion Adjutant, F.H. Timings - click on it to
enlarge).
Col. Cartwright reviewed the role of "E" Coy.
in words written immediately after stand-down in December 1944:
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 I
always feel very near to "E" Company,
not only geographically, but because I
was its O.C. for the first three
months of its existence.
(F.P.)
Stephens (M.C.), who took over from me, has
done a great deal that will be
remembered by me, but none more than
his work as "Adjutant" at its
formation. Aldridge born and bred, he
knows everyone who lives in it and
whoever has lived in it. His
encyclopaedic mind was a tremendous
asset, and by his help three platoons
were formed which, although given
battalion numbers later on, will
always be remembered as North,
Central, and South. No company
commander could have done more for the
social life of its members, and many
of them will regret the end of the
dances which Stephens ran so
successfully throughout the winter
months, and which gave so much
pleasure to H.G. wives and
sweethearts.
Associated with "E" will always be
such names as
(H.W.) Howarth, perhaps the
best exponent of drill I have ever
watched,
(H.S.) Holland, who worked so
devotedly at the cost of his health
for the South
Platoon,
(A.H.) Davis,
of the quiet voice and decided views
at company conferences, the genial
Lloyd
of North and his faithful
Willis,
C.S.M. Shaw,
and a host of others.
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Below is an image of "E" Coy.,
photographed on an unknow date in the grounds
of Col. Cartwright's home in
Leighswood Road,
in front of an outbuilding.
 A much more recent image of the same
building, now demolished
(right).
And
of the once fine residence too, in its later
guise of commercial premises (above
left),
now all gone as well.
Mr. John Sale, a local historian, recalls
seeing the Home Guard men march past his home
in Leighswood Road on their way to the
Stubbers Green shooting range. They would
march to the canal, then along the towpath to
the Wharf Canal bridge, and finally to a
disused mound, a heap of red ash - a tip from
a disused coalmine, near the old marl holes
and on the towpath side of the canal. The
ensuing Sunday morning shooting practices are
well remembered and especially the Monday
retrieval of spent cartridge cases from the
mound, performed by the local lads!
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To find references elsewhere within the
site to subjects mentioned above
please see:
-
32nd Battalion Information Summary
Page
(Aldridge, Barr Beacon, Brownhills, Little Aston,
Pelsall, Pheasey,
Rushall,
Shelfield, Streetly,
Walsall Wood)
-
Index of Surnames
and Place Names
relating to the 32nd Battalion
- or use the general website
Search
facility.
Staffshomeguard would welcome any further
information which visitors to the page may
have; to help us add to the story of the
Aldridge Home Guard, please use
FEEDBACK |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The above
image of the parade first appeared in the excellent
BrownhillsBob's Brownhills Blog
website.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to "Bob"; and to David Evans
and John Sale.
HG group image
© John Sale 2017
Modern images
© David Evans 2017
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