A view of my late father Tom Birtle in his Home Guard uniform. He joined the Thorpe Thewles detachment at the age of 16 in 1942. He looks very young in this photograph so I have to assume it was taken in the same year. By the end of his service he was a lance corporal.
The photograph was taken at Norton Junction cottages.
Photograph and details courtesy of Martin Birlte.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The Durham Home Guard records have been released by the National Archives, subject to being able to prove you are a descendant. You can check the index online at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
I believe there were at large number of reserved occupations at Billingham ICI to maintain output during the war so many joined the Home Guard.
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Dad had started serving his time as a lift engineer with Pickerings Lifts of Stockton on Tees in March 1942 and was therefore in a reserved occupation situation until he was 21.
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