War Time Pictures Section.
This section of pictures is of the actual Homeguard and the local area, during the war time years 1939 - 1945.
This photo is of WR31 Settle and Ingleton Platoons marching through Settle market square in 1942 on Warship Weekend , Most City's and Towns collected money during the war years for there adopted Royal Navy Ship. The money went towards the upkeep and maintenance. Our ship was the HMS Ribble, a River Class Frigate K525, which luckily survived the War. The local people collected £197,000 which was a staggering amount for such small villages in the war time years. The leading troops are Settle platoon, led by John Henry (Harry) Gilchrist, followed by the Ingleton Platoon. The Photo's are loaned by Ted Saunders who runs Posthorn Books, Belle Hill , Giggleswick. It is from a Postcard owned by Settle resident Gilly Gilchrist . whose father is leading the parade. Many Thanks to them for use of photo's.
Frigate HMS Ribble - K525
Lesley Winrey, Elaine's Uncle. In the RAF. Here he is climbing into a Harvard Trainer.
This dashing gentleman, is John William "Bill" Ward, which is our "Elvis" 's, John's father. He was a PT instructor with the Irish Guards. We would like to point out that even though he was in the Irish Guards, he was a true Yorkshireman, through and through.
He went on to become Sergeant Major.
A brilliant photo from Eric Guilliam, who was in the ATC at the time, showing a rare picture of The Ingleton Home Guard WR31 marching up from the Swimming pool, passing the Youth Hostel leading up into the village square, They were on the way to the old quarry, where they used to go for rifle practice. Eric told me, he was there when the picture was taken. This is where the Ingleton Fish and chip shop is now, back then it was a small cottage and a Builders merchant store with adjoining yard.
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Eric Guilliam painted this from a photo he took on Easter Monday 1941. It is of a Junkers Ju88 flying low over Quarry Wood at the Ingleton Waterfalls. He said all the Cadets jumped into the ditch when they saw it. They could even see the nose gunner looking down on them. Later they heard it had been shot down over Morecambe Bay by a Spitfire. It was most probably on its way to bomb Barrow in Furness. This is a fantastic picture, and many thanks go out to Eric, for letting us use his paintings, and many other photos, for this web site.
This is a photo of Eric Guilliam in his ATC uniform. It was taken in the garden of Seed Hill Guest House, Ingleton. It used to be 2 houses in the 1940's, then made into one. Originally it was a farm, with the farm buildings behind. Notice the Garage behind the railings. This Garage even had petrol pumps. It was attached to the Ingleborough Hotel. Which is now The Ingleborough Nursing Home.
Another lovely painting by Eric Guilliam of Ingleton. "Spitfire, the Winter Hunter".
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I have been waiting for somebody to send me a photo of The Drill Hall used by the Ingleton Home Guard. I have now been sent this . Its a photo showing the old school on 'Back Gate' Ingleton. This was used by the Home Guard as there Headquarters during the war years . Sadly the school was pulled down, years ago. A big thank you to the Late Muriel Humpries of Burton in Lonsdale for the photo.
The Drill hall looking from the other side of the building. Many thanks to Eric Guilliam for the photo.
The Ingleton Brass Band.
We think this was taken just before the last war, and was in front of the then drill hall.
This is an unknown trombone player from the band. Date and name unknown.....
These next 6 photos, are of the Homeguard at Morecambe, are reproduced here with kind permission from the Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster.
Link to their web site
here.
Weapons training with a water cooled .30 Browning above, and below with a Spigot Mortar. From the look of the big building behind the men, the photos were taken round the back of the Midland Hotel on Morecambe sea front.
The spigot mortar. A march past approaching the Midland Hotel. The pier is no longer there.
.30 Browning at the Crag Bank firing range How not to do the assault course, especially not in front of the General.
Above. This is an interesting picture, in that it shows the differences in uniforms within the platoon. There was no formal uniform dress code for the home guard . They had to wear what they could get hold of like webbing, gaiters, uniforms, and weapons, So even men in the same unit could be all individually dressed.
This is another good photo, location unknown, of a smart bunch of lads. Note, that the NCO's on the front row, all hold the Sten Gun. The Corporal with a Mk2, short barrel shroud. The Sergeant and Lance Corporal with Mk3s', which have the longer, near full length barrel shroud. And only 3 P14 or P17 rifles. The only difference between the P14 and 17, the calibre. P14 used the British .303 round, while the P17 used the American .30 round. From the outside, the P17 had a red band round the hand guard, and sometimes "300" stencilled on the back of the butt. P14 rifles would sometimes have a small brass regimental disc inset in the side of the butt. So as I cant see the red band, these could be P14 rifles.
So that is 6 weapons between 12 men.
Sten Mk2 Sten Mk3 P14 or P17 Rifle
Homeguard with a P17, red band on forgrip, and 300 stenciled on butt.
Here are two photos from Paul Beatty Dad's album. Above, R.W. Beatty, Paul's Dad, is back row, far right. The Home Guard unit was based at The Dick Kerr Works, Strand Road, Preston. I believe that the ranks in the unit reflected the Manager, foreman, chargehand, skilled man, unskilled man, almost like the unit at Warmington on Sea. During the war, the men worked seven days per week on a three shift system building Halifax bombers, the second pic, Below, shows my Dad standing on the wing of a Halifax bomber at Salmesbury airfield. I notice in the first picture that there is only one indian amongst all the chiefs, and he is wearing his first world war ribbon.
Info Links to weapons used by the Homeguard.
Info on the Thompson Sub Machine Gun
Info on the Canadian Ross Rifle
Additional P14 and P17 rifle history
Info on SMLE - Short Mag Lee-Enfield .303