The 31st and 32nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalions consisted entirely of members of the Birmingham City Transport Department. They were based at the various departmental premises throughout the city and their primary role was to defend and protect these depots against enemy action of any kind. Individual units also cooperated with other Home Guard formations who were responsible for the geographical area in which the particular B.C.T. facility was located.

Most of the information about these two Battalions, consisting of 3000 to 3500 men in total, comes from a commemorative booklet published in January 1945 after the stand-down which had occurred the previous month. In this and associated pages of this website the full contents of the booklet can be read. It is almost unique amongst such Home Guard records in recording every member of the units, including those whose service ended prematurely as a result of call up, retirement or death from enemy action, accident or natural causes.

As with other HG units the structure, designation and command of this defensive force evolved over the years, as follows:

STRUCTURE May 1940 - July 1940 9th Birmingham (P.U.) Battalion Local Defence Volunteers July 1940 - October 1940  9th Birmingham (P.U.) Battalion Home Guard October 1940 - March 1941 11th, 12th Birmingham (P.U.) Battalions Home Guard March 1941 - December 1944 31st, 32nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalions Home Guard

COMMANDING OFFICERS Commanding Officers included the following: Major T.B. Pritchett, M.C. (1940)   (Lord Mayor of Birmingham) Lt.-Col. J. McDonnell (32nd Battn. to 23rd February 1943) Lt.-Col. E.V. Horton, M.C. (1941) Lt.-Col. A.C. Baker (31st Battn.) Lt.-Col. E Bowater, M.S.M. (32nd Battn., 1944)

....and  REMEMBERING.... 2/Lt. J.I. Brasenell - E Coy., 31st Battn. - P25, Washwood Heath Pte. T.R. Crew - B Coy., 32nd Battn. - P27, Acocks Green Cpl. L.H. Humphreys - D Coy., 32nd Batt. - P37, Cotteridge W. Matthews, M.M. Lt. W.A.J. Mitchell - 31st Battn. W.H. Stacey Cpl. R.W. Tonks - B Coy., 31st Battn. - P39, Perry Barr Pte. W.P. Vale - E Coy., 31st Battn. - P41, Tyburn Road and      all their comrades in the 31st and 32nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalions

THIS PAGE shows the Introduction to the Battalion history. The other four pages cover: -   A Record of the Battalions' activities from 1940 to 1944. -   The Commanding Officers, Deputies and Permanent and Specialist staff. -   A List of Members of the 31st Battalion. -   A List of Members of the 32nd Battalion.

THE INTRODUCTION

.....next page: A Record of the Battalions' activities

All sections of this booklet appear in this website: - Introduction (this page). - A Record of the Battalions' activities - The Senior Officers - A List of Members of the 31st Battalion. - A List of Members of the 32nd Battalion.

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Acknowledgements
Grateful acknowledgement is made to Joan and John Nicholls who most generously donated a copy of this Battalion record to staffshomeguard; to Matt Felkin and his "Wartime Birmingham and the Blitz" Facebook page;  to the Birmingham History Forum; and to the then Birmingham City Council for permitting and funding the creation of this invaluable historical record.

Other Information about the Birmingham Home Guard
(and the 31st/32nd Battalions and their members)
Please click the MEMS - WARKS link below.

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x122A - August 2015