This teaching package was written by Harminder Kajall as part of work on the PGCE History course at Leicester University, 2004-5.

World War Two had a large impact upon the civilian population. Although many men were recruited to serve abroad, a large number stayed at home due to health/age or because they were required for important war work. Together, they formed the civil defence of the country. This topic contains archive materials that highlights the work of the Air Raid Precaution (ARP) Service and the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) in defending Britain during World War Two.

In 1935, local authorities had been ordered by the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin to make plans to protect their areas in the event of a war. However, it was not until 1937 that the ARP (Air Raid Precaution) Warden’s Service, the ARP as it became known, came into being. A national organisation, the role of the ARP was set out by Government, in publications such as the Air raid precautions handbook published and distributed nationally in 1938.

However, ARP volunteers were essentially local volunteers who had been recruited to protect their immediate area. Once war broke out in 1939, the ARP were responsible for ensuring that air raid precautions, such as observing the blackout were enforced. They also dealt with incidents including air raids. Records of the Anstey Civil Defence in Leicestershire including ARP Warden's report forms and extracts from an ARP Warden's minute and log book provide an insight into the work ARP volunteers undertook on a voluntary basis throughout the war.

When Germany invaded France in May 1940, the Prime Minister Anthony Eden called for the establishment of another force to defend the country. They were called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) and later became known as the Home Guard. Local Defence Volunteers were male civilians aged between 17 and 65 who had not been conscripted. After the war, these men were often portrayed as a group of incompetent geriatrics, most notably in the sit com 'Dad's Army.

The Home Guard were intended to be the last line of defence in the event of an enemy invasion. Members attended regular drills as outlined in LDV proposed tactical exercise and practised creating defence lines and clearing up debris after an attack. One of their other main duties involved patrolling key areas such as railways and factories. On occasion, this work resulted in them being viewed as a nuisance by the local population: seeComplaint about Local Defence Volunteers. This, along with the advanced years of many LDV volunteers, may explains why they have been portrayed as a 'joke' in the post-war period.

Fortunately, Britain was not invaded and so the Home Guard were never truly tested. However, the commitment of LDV volunteers should not be overlooked. Being a member of the Home Guard made great demands of volunteers time, as illustrated in the extract from an Interview with Tom Downs (20 kb) , himself a member of the LDV during World War Two.