Now available from Melksham-based Forces War Records are the details of Home Guard members from the town of Westbury and its surrounding villages.
In World War Two those from the area who were too old or unfit to join the fighting were still determined to do their bit; 724 of them signed up to defend their locality and key targets within it.
These would have included road junctions, Army garrisons, RAF bases – Westbury was along one of the main roads to Salisbury Plain – government premises (such as the convalescent depot at Leighton House and park) and factories (such as Bitham Mill, which produced electricity). The collection has been transcribed from records held at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, and these are the only Home Guard records from the county that are in the public domain.
Those lucky enough to find the name of a relative among them may find their ancestor’s rank, Battalion, Company, Platoon, address, Home Guard Service Number, National Registration Number and the date that they began their Home Guard Service, making this an extremely useful resource for anyone putting together a family tree. The people behind the records said, “Want to know what qualifies our staff to find, transcribe and add information to your relative’s record? New to our site is the ‘Meet the Team’ list in the ‘About Us’ section. Eminent former servicemen, military history graduates and lifelong enthusiasts, technical experts, archaeologists, genealogists, and archivists, they’re all here and keen to share their expertise.
“Remember, members of our site can contact Customer Support with any and all requests for help with their family research, and if you have a mystery or question related to military history, chances are that someone within the company will know how to find the information that you’re after.”
www.forces-war-records.co.uk/collections/133/wiltshire-home-guard-warminster-battalions.
