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Osterley through the ages:

Home Guard training camp, 1940

Multi Period Event

Osterley Park, West London

Sunday 6th May to Monday 7th May 2007
La Columna and The Civil Defenders marching through Osterley

La Columna teamed up with Home Guard re-enactment group The Civil Defenders to recreate the Home Guard Training school that was in Operation at Osterley Park from June 1940. Some of the leading figures behind the creation of the school were ex International Brigaders, most famously including Tom Wintringham.

Quick link: The Home Guard, 1940-1944; A People's Militia?
Quick link: Tom Wintringham Web Page

The roles we took on were that of the Civilian instructors who had recently returned from Spain and we spent the weekend imparting our knowledge to the home guard members.

Various skills were taught by us, such as the art of demolition and explosive booby traps, defending a village, and an exercise in repelling a German glider landing. This is the first event we have done with The Civil Defenders but judging by the success it probably won't be the last.

Dave, Patrick and James armed and ready to show the Home Guard how to do it!
Our HQ tent, note the petrol bombs and improvised grenades on table, ready for lecture

Tony delivers lecture on defending a village with the use of a TWOT (Tactics Without Troops)... despite the rain!

Detail of TWOT - the white object in the bottom of the picture is a war memorial
James and Digger absorbing as much information as they can from Tom Wintringham's articles in Picture Post concerning military matters.
Quick Link: Picture Post History
'Digger', our explosives expert, points to the original explosive store that was used in 1940... there weren't any sticks of dynamite left behind - we did check!

La Columna taking on the role of a German Glider that has landed, to enable the Home Guard to attack and repel... Richard insisted on wearing the helmet (his stick is an anti-tank gun, apparently)

The wonderful La Columna ladies.. and Martin

Tony who took on the role of 'The Captain' for the weekend, debriefs the Home Guard following an exercise

Mairi Ann and Jan sharing a joke
Tony and Stephen looking authoritative, note Stephen's LDV (Local Defence Volunteer) armband
Craig as Asturian refugee dynamite expert
James and rapid communications device (Ok it's his bike)

Thank you to Eventplan for the invitation to this event, we sincerely hope to come back again next year!

Quick Link Eventplan's page

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