de Havilland – Home Guard Unit

Not sure about the cap badge until I find the pictures, but I recall him having two badges, both button hole types. One is now available as a pin badge replica at the DH Museum and the other was very similar to the cap badge but with a small band with the year he started work at DH’s in dark blue numbers. He passed away in 2003 so there’s just my Grandma and I to remember! She’s in New Zealand now so will see what she knows next time I call.

Fascinating!

Does he recall the cap badge, I wonder?

Evening Chaps! This is my first post, have been coming on here for a while but this is the first thread I have HAD to have a say on! My Grandad served with the deHavilland Hatfield Home Guard from formation in 1940 through to disbandment in 1944. There was one other home guard unit in Hatfield at the time, at Jack Oldings farm machinery factory and there was plenty of friendly rivalry between the two. Grandad was the youngest, 20 at formation. He had been with DH since 1936/37 (retired about 1986), and was retained as reserved occupation which made the war a difficult time for him. But then was the war easy for anyone?! I have pictures of him with other members of his platoon and also on parade. I shall dig them out to scan.

Bear in mind that in the early days when uniforms were in short supply from the official sources a lot of companies paid to have uniforms made for their resident LDV and Home Guard units, and that may be why this has a DH cap badge. It may be a factory-commissioned forage cap.

Thanks Firebird. Very enlightening.

As you say, I would have expected any such units to be badged to the local county regiment but something about this “feels” right. The badge is certainly period. The hat is genuine 1940. It is a bit faded and there is evidence the badge has been there for a very long time.

I will wait on Bruce’s consultation with the oracle!

I know I have seen photos of other factory/company HG units – one being Southern Railway, I think, although I suspect they had Royal Sussex or West Kent Badges with appropriate SR shoulder titles.

This hat is certainly fascinating to say the least. I’d love to find evidence that the DHHG existed – or to find photos to prove it.

Well, I’ve done a bit of digging with a few of my ex-Living History mates that know a bit about the HG.

There was definately a DHHG platoon from the DH civilian satellite facility at Witney, but badged as Oxfordshire Regt., so very likely there was a DHHG unit at Hatfield. It’s the badge though that is unusual, but given the production facilities at DH works maybe not surprising that they knocked up some unique badges, although I pressume they would have been under control of the Herts Regt.

Many bigger facilities (gas works, post office, railways, water works etc) had their own HG units all over the country, but always badged with their parent county Regt.
I’ve been told Vickers Armstrong had a factory HG unit, and they had a khaki embroidered round shoulder patch depicting the interlooked V and A with the letters H.G above it and 1st Batt below.

I’m here, but it is not an area of my expertise – I will consult the Oracle.

Bruce

No, you are not taking it off thread at all.

I had forgotten all about the Agent Zig-Zag story (I have read the book, which is fascinating!) and so there is a more than tenuous connection with the hat.

I know I have seen photos of other factory/company HG units – one being Southern Railway, I think, although I suspect they had Royal Sussex or West Kent Badges with appropriate SR shoulder titles.

This hat is certainly fascinating to say the least. I’d love to find evidence that the DHHG existed – or to find photos to prove it.

[QUOTE=Tangmere1940;1366667]Thanks for that! Interesting stuff.
QUOTE]

Where is Bruce when we need him !;) – Well worth a read the Zig Zag book though, the guy had MI-6 keeping a “lady friend” in a flat in London while the Abwher also kept a mistress in a flat in Norway – one of those stories that you know is missing facts but is well worth a read.

Nice find on the hat !

sorry – taking this off thread with the book recomendation !

Not sure about DH but other factories did have Home Guard units based on site, so it is feasible.

An interesting find

Now that is very interesting ……. hmmmm.

Thanks for that! Interesting stuff.

Here is why I asked. Pretty sure it is 100% authentic. Has British Army brass buttons to front and a 1940 date stamp inside.

IIRC it did, I read a while back a very enjoyable book “agent zig zag” about Eddie Chapman, double/double agent who, among other things, worked with MI6 to produce some fake images of sabotage he was ordered to carry out at Hatfield. It was a while ago I read it, loaned it out …. you can guess the rest!

I’m sure that the Home Guard unit was mentioned in the book….