The 29th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion comprised employees of the city's Utilities services - water, electricity, gas, salvage - and Council Offices. It was commemorated by an Official Record contained in a booklet given to all members in early 1946. The booklet is reproduced in its entirety on various pages of this website. Go to the 29th Battn. Introduction page page for more information.

This page shows the "E" Company section of the booklet (pages 68-75). For other pages, please see the Summary box at the foot of the page.

.....next section: Events

ADDITIONAL "E" Coy. INFORMATION

In the image of No. 2 Platoon above, William Arthur Whitfield (1908-1989) is standing in the back row, third from the left.  This identification is provided by his son who states: He worked for the Birmingham Electricity Supply Company who were formed into platoons to guard Hams Hall Power Station by night 3 times a week, driven there in the back of a lorry after finishing his day job. A very close friend of his in the postwar years was Harold Chellingworth (see below) who is thought to have lived, with his wife, Enid, in Court Lane, Sutton Coldfield. The two men obviously had much about which to reminisce. Acknowledgement: Roger Whitfield **********

Mention is made above of the formation of an anti-aircraft battery in February 1939 as a Territorial Army unit. Officers of the battery are shown (below) in early 1940 before duties were taken over by the Regular Army. The officers are (left to right): H.G. Chellingworth; J. Patterson; P.A. Ottman; R.H. Rawlinson; W.H. Andrews; S. Shaw; A.R. Beesley; T. Simmons; A.E.B. Wallis; T.E. Thomas. All the officers from the later "E" Coy. 29th Battalion Home Guard were previously members of this earlier unit (those highlighted above), including Harold Chellingworth (extreme left). There is no mention of that Company reverting to its previous role of anti-aircraft defence later in the war, when Home Guards became increasingly involved in those duties elsewhere. It seems as though they continued their round-the-clock guard duties right up until stand-down. Acknowledgement: Graham Knight and Matt Felkin and his "Wartime Birmingham and the Blitz" Facebook page. ********** It is not known whether members of "E" Coy. were also responsible for the regular guarding of other Electric Dept. facilities such as sub-stations and power lines. The Company presumably had a responsibility for their well-being, especially in the earlier days when the threat of sabotage and enemy infiltration was at its height. This is a list of City sub-stations: A Division: Digbeth B Division: Bristol Street; Harborne; Selly Oak; Stirchley/Bournville; King's Norton; Longbridge; Speedwell Road C Division: Dudley Road; Thornhill Road; Bridge Street West; Lozells Road; Canterbury Road; Holyhead Road D Division: Duke Street; Bloomsbury Street; Washwood Heath; Bordesley Green; Stechford; Erdington E Division: Edward Road; Woodbridge Road; King's Heath; Billesley; Sparkhill; Robin Hood; Acock's Green; Coventry Road; Small Heath; Hay Mills Acknowledgement: Matt Felkin and his "Wartime Birmingham and the Blitz" Facebook page.

SUMMARY OF 29TH Battn. BOOKLET SECTIONS: - Introduction - Brief history - The Battalion - A Coy. - B Coy. - C Coy. - D Coy. - E Coy. (this page) - Events - Rifle Competitions - Stand Down Dec. 1944 For further information about many Birmingham Home Guard Battalions, including the 31st/32nd (City Transport Dept.):   Memories - Warks or use  Search. And for acknowledgements and other information concerning this section of the website, go to: Main 29th Battn. Summary Page

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x134G - March 2016