How to find Second World War Home Guard records
Researcher
Wed Nov 19 2025
•
< 5 minutes read
Across Britain’s towns and villages, the sight of men drilling after nightfall became a familiar wartime scene. These were the Home Guard: shopkeepers, miners, clerks and veterans who volunteered to defend their communities when invasion felt imminent. Tracing a Home Guard ancestor means rediscovering the everyday people who helped safeguard the nation during its darkest hours.
Who were the Home Guard?
Created in May 1940 as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) and later renamed the Home Guard, this citizen army protected key sites, patrolled coastlines, and prepared for guerrilla resistance. Their duties ranged from guarding bridges to watching the skies for enemy aircraft.
By the end of the Second World War, nearly two million volunteers had served, each with their own story of courage and commitment.
Where to find Home Guard records online
Home Guard personnel records were not centrally stored, so surviving material varies across regions. However, several digitised collections offer valuable insights. On Findmypast, you can access:
- Home Guard Officer Lists (1940–1944): Names, ranks, and unit details for officers can help you to confirm leadership roles.
- 1939 Register: You can search this precious resource for civilian roles at the outbreak of the Second World War.
- Military Gazettes and Supplements: These announcements of promotions and appointments can reveal responsibilities and movements.
- Historical newspaper archives: Local newspapers often published Home Guard activities, parades, accident reports, and mentions of awards — sometimes naming individual volunteers.
The National Archives also preserves surviving battalion files, operational orders, and training materials (mainly within the WO series), which can help you understand a unit's day-to-day role.
How to search Home Guard Second World War records
Start with what you know
Note down a name, approximate age during the war, occupation, and - crucially - their address. Because Home Guard service was geographically organised, location is often the key to unlocking their unit.
Use place-based searches
Battalions were formed locally (like the Aberdeen Battalion or Birmingham Zones), so search by county, town, or industrial area. Pair location clues with maps, electoral rolls, or wartime civil defence records to place your ancestor within a likely unit.
Cross-reference other wartime service collections
If you can't find a named Home Guard record, use supporting evidence to uncover details you won't find in personnel files:
- Electoral registers to confirm residence
- Occupation records to explain roles (factory workers often guarded industrial sites, for example)
- Medal lists for volunteers commended for bravery or long service
- Newspapers for training mishaps, fundraising events, or award ceremonies
Together, these fragments build a clearer picture of their service.
Delve deeper with historical newspapers
Local newspapers often provide the most vivid details - Home Guard sports matches, community parades, alerts during bombing raids or mentions of heroic acts. Parish magazines and memoirs can further illuminate the camaraderie and constant readiness that shaped their experience.
Tracing a Home Guard ancestor lets you uncover the quiet heroism of Britain's civilian defenders. With digitised records, maps, and newspapers at your fingertips, you can bring their wartime story back into the light - and preserve it for generations to come.