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HOME GUARD MEMORIES AND INFORMATION - WARWICKSHIRE, BIRMINGHAM
23rd WARWICKSHIRE (BIRMINGHAM) BATTN.
ERDINGTON
Lt. LESLIE BEARD
and
ARTILLERY WEAPONS TRAINING
UMBERSLADE PARK
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 The
23rd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion
bore the responsibility of
defending the
Erdington
area of Birmingham. It was
commanded, first, by
Lt.-Col.
S.A. Godsall, M.C., and later by
Lt.-Col
E.W. Walker.
Another officer in the
Battalion was
Lt. Leslie Beard
(right).
His
story is contained on an
associated page of this
website:
Lt. Beard and the
23rd Warwickshire (Birmingham)
Battn.
Amongst the extensive training
which Leslie Beard and his
comrades underwent in the
course of their Home Guard
service was participation in at
least one Artillery Weapons
Training Course. This was held
at
Umberslade Park, Hockley Heath
which was the venue for many
such courses of varying
duration for Midlands Home
Guard men. Images survive of
that activity and are
displayed on this page.
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The venue,
Umberslade
Park, Hockley Heath,
Warwickshire:
 |
The
home of
C.M.D. Weapon
Training School,
Umberslade Park,
commanded by
Major G.
W. Tedder and,
below, its
prospectus for 1943,
almost certainly the
year in which Leslie
was on the course
there:
 |
Starting small - a
23rd Battalion member
firing the Blacker
Bombard Spigot Mortar:
 |
The 23rd Battalion
was obviously equipped
with the Blacker
Bombard and here are
three men taking aim.
The venue is not
Umberslade but
their own territory in
Erdington,
in
Grange Road
(see
aerial views of the
site). No doubt
the men are
demonstrating what has
been learned at
Umberslade:
 |
Back at Umberslade, a group of Battalion
officers discuss a
target or gun position:
(Leslie nearest
the camera)
 |
Battalion members move
on to a larger
artillery piece, the Ordnance
QF 2-pounder, a 40mm
anti-tank piece issued
to the Home Guard from
1942 onwards.
This quick-firing
weapon was suitable
for use against
relatively lightly
armoured vehicles or
personnel.
The next
four images show the
weapon, having been
towed into position,
being prepared for
firing:
 |
 |
(Leslie second
from right; Army
instructor extreme
right)
 |
(Leslie second left)
 |
All prepared and
ready for firing:
|
A group of instructors
and trainees (not
necessarily all of the
23rd Battn.):
 |
This may be the
accommodation at
Umberslade for a
summer weekend visit:
 |
The opportunity for a
bit of leisure time
and fooling around:
(Leslie
front left):
 |
And finally the end of
the stay. On Wood End
station looking
towards Snow Hill and
central Birmingham and
beyond, to the men's homes
in Erdington. Probably
late Sunday afternoon.
What have one or two
of the men seen above?
Otherwise it's a time
for a cigarette or
pipe as they patiently
await the train from
Stratford.
(See
more recent views
of this platform):
(Leslie third from
right)
 |
In memory of
Lt. Leslie Beard
and all his comrades
in
23rd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion,
Home Guard
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|
Grateful acknowledgement
is made to
John Wright, and other
family members, for
the information about
his grandfather and
their generous
permission for its
publication; to Mick
Ackrill;
to members of the
excellent
Birmingham History
Forum, especially
"oldMohawk"
and "Pedrocut", for
information on
Erdington locations;
and to
Chris Kolonko.
Images © John Wright
2017
x148B -
May 2017
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