Figure 2 Kent Home Guard Parade

The 54th Battalion of the Kent Home Guard was initially formed during May 1940 as part of the ‘Local Defence Volunteer Force’ (LDVF) initiative designed to co-opt men too young, too old, occupying ‘Reserved Occupations’, or medically prevented from joining the ‘Regular’ British Armed Forces. This was with the purpose of forming a ‘mass’ volunteer force comprised of hundreds of thousands of eager individuals who were dedicated to the task of protecting their homes through the logical use of local knowledge. Foreign Paratroopers, by way of example, despite their fitness and daring, may drop both sides of a house (in an unfamiliar area) and have no idea where they are, giving time enough for the inhabitants of the house to open-fire (from the high ground) – thus removing the threat! The service included women - quite unofficially in the early days but, after April 1943, with formal approval.

This is what Chislehurst men would have seen, some time after the announcement of the creation of the L.D.V. in May 1940 when huge numbers of local men had registered for service at their local police stations. Now is the time to maintain numbers, as the weeks and months pass and men have been called up and others will have retired through advancing age or ill-health or work commitments. Conscription, announced in December 1941, will help eventually with this.

Figure 3 Leaflet Preserved at the Chislehurst Cave Museum

The men of “C” Company of the 54th Battalion of the Kent Home Guard wore a khaki British Army-style uniform and possessed a number of very different (old and new) fire-arms (preserved in the Museum maintained at Chislehurst Cave).

Figure 4 Bren Light Machine Gun - Home Guard - Chislehurst

"The London Civil Authority rapidly recognised the importance of the caves and materially supported the efforts of its amateur management long before official involvement by the local Council. Bunk beds arrived in increasing quantities from January 1940, but it wasn’t until November of that year that the caves became an official public air raid shelter with Mr Gardner employed as Manager. By this time the numbers sheltering had started to fall as the raids on London became less frequent and many women and children were evacuated. Much of the space thus created was used for storing official records and other purposes by various authorities including the local Council.

The number of shelterers continued to fall until June 1944 but then rose rapidly to about 2,000 with the start of the V1 and later V2 rocket attacks.

As a precaution against the feared effects of these new weapons, shelterers were encouraged to use the deeper parts of the caves, bunks were moved away from the walls and the upper berth left vacant. Once again special trains were laid on to deal with the rush hour and the Home Guard enlisted to deal with the crush at the station. One section of the caves was reserved for service personnel, particularly the ‘Women’s Auxiliary Air Force’ (WAAF) from Biggin Hill so that they could enjoy the luxury of an undisturbed nights rest."

(Inman 2015) (2)

The Chislehurst Home Guard had access to the cave network within which their disparate weaponry was often safely stored. This included a number of 19th century pistols and equally old rifles – which, when fully operational (and used in the right hands), could inflict substantial damage on any unsuspecting enemy! Even different types of ‘bayonets’ were in use – some models that would not have been out of place at the (1815) Battle of Waterloo:

Figure 5 The Home Guard Weaponry Was An Eclectic Mix of Old & New!

Figure 6 An Ancient Socket Bayonet

The Home Guard made do with whatever weapon was at hand – and even when modern rifles were available – each soldier was issued with a single clip of 5 rounds of ammunition. The onus was on accuracy of fire and ingenuity of deployment and action. A certain lucidity of thought and adaptability of physical presence was called for that was not limited to the behavioural modes expected of a ‘Regular’ soldier. In the more formal training required for the front-line, the required discipline often prevented the very lateral movement of thought and action the Home Guard was founded upon. For instance: