Home Front - Home Guard

The Home Guard was a volunteer defence force that was established throughout the UK to contribute to the security and defence of many local areas, including Aberdeen. The philosophy behind the Home Guard Units was for volunteer forces of men who were ineligible for national service (e.g. by fitness or age) to be raised to contribute to the security and defence of their locality.


One of the units in the Aberdeen area was the 7th City of Aberdeen (Works) Battalion, Home Guard. Its members included Henry Trail, an employee of the Aberdeen Corporation Electricity Works who was too old to fight but had previous military experience from his time in the RAF during World War 1.

This section highlights some items from a collection of papers gifted to the Archives by his daughter.

The Home Guard ran itself on military lines, complete with ranks and a training regime to equip members for the work they were to undertake. This included guarding the coastlines, as well as having to defend these in the event of an invasion. This was not going to be easy, since most military resources were directed towards the theatres of war overseas, and so the Home Guard had to be resourceful in arming and training itself.

This page from Henry Trail’s talk on “Irregular Warfare” outlines how Home Guard members could use unconventional techniques to disable and even kill invaders that they might encounter. It is notable, not just for the inventive strategies that were used, but also for the attitudes towards the enemy that were prevalent at the time.

The Home Guard undertook patrols as part of their coastal defence responsibilities. Mostly these were routine affairs, but one such patrol in Aberdeen initiated a full scale search for a parachutist that involved 150 men.


A note of the event was made by the officer in charge of the patrol, commending Corporal Trail for his actions.

This photograph, taken on 3 December 1944 shows the 7th City of Aberdeen (Works) Battalion of the Home Guard marching past the Music Hall on Union Street as it celebrated the occasion when it stood down from its duties. The parade was followed by a celebratory dinner at the Northern Hotel.

By December 1944 the German forces had been pushed back into Belgium and the Allies were confident of victory. The threat of a German invasion had passed and there was little need for the Home Guard anymore, so the local Battalions were ordered to withdraw from their duties in December 1944.

After the Home Guard was fully disbanded in December 1945, certificates were sent by King George VI to every member in recognition of their service.

This was the certificate that was sent to Henry Trail.

[Originally part of our online Home Front exhibition, 2010]