The Home Guard

V8 DRAFT

A list for Too Fat Lardies' Chain of Command

Patrick Gilliland, Ross Bowrage and Mike Whitaker

Updated to reflect the Blitzkrieg 1940 Supplement

“We have 1,700,000 men in the Home Guard, all of whom will be in uniform by the end of this
year and nearly all of whom are in uniform at this moment. Nearly 1,000,000 of the Home
Guard have rifles or machine guns. Nearly half of the whole Home Guard are veteran soldiers
of the last war. Such a Force is of the highest value and importance. A country where every
street and every village bristles with loyal, resolute, armed men is a country against which the
kind of tactics which destroyed Dutch resistance—tactics of parachutists or air-borne troops in
carriers or gliders, Fifth Column activities—if there were any over here, and I am increasingly
sceptical—would prove wholly ineffective. A country so defended would not be liable to be
overthrown by such tactics.”
Winston Churchill November 5 1940 - Hansard

Note for V8:

The release of the Blitzkrieg 1940 supplement brings in a number of official rules, modifications and
clarifications that are applicable to the Home Guard especially during the early war period when
invasion was possible. Ownership of this handbook is highly recommended.
 Table of Contents
The Home Guard 3

Organization: 3
Early 14 May 1940 – June 1941 4
Middle June 1941 – July 1942 5
Late July 1942 - 3 December 1944 6

National Characteristics 7
Five Rounds Rapid! 7
“Village Gossip” 7
“Are You Local?” 7

Support Options 7
Defensive Measures Exceptions 8
AT socket mines 8
Dinner Plate Mines 8
Milk Churn Mine and Milk Churns 8
Fougasse 9
Road Obstacle 9
Roadblocks 9
Anti-Landing stakes 9
Bed Sheet 9
Improvised Smoke 10
Bunkers 10
Weapon Position 10
Small Bunker 10
Medium Bunker 10
Large Bunker 10
Croft's Pikes 11
Bicycles 11
Improvised Armoured Vehicle 11
Car and truck 11
Motorcycle and Motorcycle Combination (sidecar) 11

Sub-artillery 11
Smith gun 12
Northover Projector “Projector, 2.5 inch” 12
Blacker Bombard 12
Improvised Mortar 13
 Boyes ATR 13
EY Rifle Grenade Launcher 13
Antique Cannon 13
Home Guard Flamethrower 13
Harvey flamethrower 14

“I'll put you through now...” 14

Aux Units 14
“I have a special job for you my lad...” 14
Enemy Supports for Home Guard Scenarios 14
Shabby Nazi Tricks 14

Support Lists 15

Additions to Tables 19
Home Guard Additions to Table Seven Hand-Held Anti-Tank Weapons 19
Home Guard Additions to Table Four The Master Arsenal Table 19

Scenarios 21

Tactical notes 21

Designer's Notes 21

Bibliography 22
Books and publications 22
Film and television 23

​ The Home Guard

There are three different forms of Home Guard:

L.D.V. 14 May - 22 July 1940

The Local Defense Volunteers were relatively poorly armed and acted initially more as observers than
combatants. They are of interest particularly because several prominent anti-fascist Spanish War
veterans were involved in setting up and training the L.D.V. and early Home Guard. They would later
be sidelined or forced out by more conservative elements.

Home Guard 22 July 1940 - 3 December 1944, Disbanded 31 December 1945

The LDV/Home Guard changed composition, armaments and role over the course of the war. Initially a
poorly armed civilian militia, it gradually transformed into a static defence force and finally became an
integral part of factory defence and air defence planning. The Home Guard was made up of not just
ageing pensioners of Victoria's wars but experienced and decorated WW I veterans, men in reserved
occupations in their prime and young men not yet old enough for call up. The Home Guard were not
front line troops but unlike some portrayals in popular media, they would not have been a pushover
 either. These were men committed to defending their homeland.

The Auxiliary Units

The Auxiliary units were well trained teams of four to eight men tasked with acting as stay behind
forces. Their training and other activities were often camouflaged under the guise of the Home Guard.
Their job was not to take an invading army head on, but to wait until the battle had passed over their
local area and engage in acts of sabotage and disruption. Given their small team size and more
importantly their role, they are not really suited for a conventional platoon skirmish game like Chain of
Command. The effect of Aux units can be reflected in CoC game using the Francs Tireurs rule.

​ Organization:
In general the Home Guard was organized as per the UK infantry platoon with fewer heavy weapons.
Contemporary manuals note that the Home Guard were not trained on the 2” mortar and that
conventional smoke grenades were in short supply and unlikely to be issued to Home Guard Units. In
the early days, the shotgun takes the place of the Thompson or Sten as the close in weapon of choice.
Early on, there may only be one LMG per platoon and that probably a BAR or Lewis. Since most of
Britain's AT assets were left in France, Home Guard anti-tank weapons will be mostly Molotovs,
Hawkins mines, sticky bombs and improvised devices such as fougasse and flamethrowers. In general,
there were very few AT guns outside of designated bunkers until the mid to late war when the regular
force requirements were met.

Note: Home Guard units will never have 2” mortars or smoke grenades, however see the improvised
equivalents in the support lists.

​ Early 14 May 1940 – June 1941

The call to arms forming the L.D.V. was broadcast on May 14, 1940 and met with an overwhelming
response. Tom Wintringham set up Osterley Park in July 1940, and the LDV was transformed into the
HG that same month. Although Operation Sea Lion was called off in September 1940, it was the
opening of the Russian front that made a German invasion of Britain very unlikely. This is the reason
for the June 1941 end date for this list. This organization represents the early LDV / Home Guard when
arms were few and far between. Improvisation is the order of the day and support weapons will have
to be “bought in” as support.

Note on strength: The paper strength of a platoon could be as high as 100 men, a section 25 and a
patrol 7. This allows for men working or otherwise occupied with day to day but important tasks.

Note on Ranks: Nonstandard ranks used until Date

Standard Morale Block

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5+

Command Dice 2 3 4 5

Special -j/J
 Platoon Force Rating
Regular:-12
Command dice: 4 in 1940 as LDV, 5 in 1941

Force Morale LDV

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

Command Dice 1 2 3 4

Special J J

Force Morale Home Guard 1940

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

Command Dice 1 2 3 4

Special -j Red
Die

Force Morale Home Guard 1941

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

Command Dice 1 2 3 4 5

Special -j

Battle Platoon Headquarters

Platoon Commander / Lieutenant, Senior Leader armed with Shotgun, pistol or rifle
Section Commander / Platoon Sergeant, Senior Leader, armed with pistol or rifle or Thompson SMG

Squad One to Three

Squad Commander / Corporal, Junior Leader armed with rifle or shotgun

Patrol 1
3 Volunteers / Privates with rifle, pistol or shotgun.

Patrol 2
4 Volunteers / Privates with rifle, pistol or shotgun.
 ​ Middle June 1941 – July 1942
The later cut-off date is drawn from the 1942 home guard manual wherein the option to quit on 14
days’ notice is categorically rescinded. Further, the National Service Act was expanded in 1942 to allow
conscription directly into the Home Guard turning it effectively into a branch of the Regular Army.

This organization represents the home guard when arms from the US and Canada were becoming
available in larger numbers and there were enough BAR and Lewis guns to begin to approach a
standard British infantry structure. Noticeably absent is the 2” mortar and heavier weapons still
needed by the regular forces. This is also the period when sub-artillery is becoming available in
quantity.
Platoon Force Rating
Regular: -6
Command dice: 5

Force Morale Home Guard 1941-42

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

Command Dice 1 2 3 4 5

Special -j

Battle Platoon Headquarters

Lieutenant, Senior Leader armed with Thompson, Sten (early 1942 onward), pistol
or rifle
Platoon Sergeant, Senior Leader, armed with Thompson, Sten (early 1942 onward), rifle, EY Rifle
Grenade Launcher

LMG Team
BAR or Lewis Gun
Three crew

Squads One to Three

Corporal, Junior Leader armed with Thompson, Sten (early 1942 onward), or rifle

Rifle Team 1
Three Volunteers (before spring 1941) / Privates armed with rifle or shotgun.

Rifle Team 2
Four Volunteers (before spring 1941) / Privates armed with rifle or shotgun.
 ​ Late July 1942 - 3 December 1944
This is the late war Home Guard. Less of an anti-invasion force, though protection against commando
raids was a role, and more concerned with taking over anti-craft and guard duties freeing up eligible
men for front line service.

Platoon Force Rating

Regular: -2
Command dice: 5
Force Morale Home Guard 1942-44

Force morale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

Command Dice 1 2 3 4 5

Special -j

Battle Platoon Headquarters

Lieutenant, Senior Leader armed with Sten, pistol
or rifle
Platoon Sergeant, Senior Leader, armed with Sten, Rifle, EY Rifle Grenade Launcher

Squads One to Three

Corporal, Junior Leader armed with Sten

LMG group
Bren gun or Lewis Gun or BAR
Three crew

Rifle Team
Four Riflemen armed with rifle, or Sten.

​ National Characteristics
​ Five Rounds Rapid!
As with the British Regulars, the WWI veterans in the Home Guard and the men they trained loved
their rifles. As per the British list.

​ “Village Gossip”
The Home Guard gets one free move for each patrol marker in addition to any specified by the
scenario. Representing nosey villagers and the speed with which information travels in a small
community.
​ “Are You Local?”
Home Guard units were expected to use their local knowledge to maximize their effectiveness in the
defence and their training was designed to build on this. In fact, the emphasis on intimate awareness
of the local terrain was used as a reason to not increase the mobility of HG units.

When deploying jump off points, the Home Guard player can deploy into otherwise valid cover closer
to the patrol marker than 6”. This represents the intimate knowledge of local terrain these units would
have.

When deploying from jump off points, Home Guards deploy as one troop type better. Green units
deploy up to 6” and regulars 9”. There are no elite Home Guard.

​ Support Options
“A thirty-ton tank lumbering along an English country lane is a terrifying object: but it is also a
helpless one. Treat it right, and it will very soon cease to be a source of danger.”
The Home Guard Training Manual

Tank Hunter Teams

Early
4 Men, pistols or shotguns, improvised smoke, Molotov cocktails

Middle
4 Men, shotguns or rifles, improvised smoke, sticky bombs or Molotov cocktails

Late
4 Men, rifles or Stens, smoke grenades, sticky bomb or Hawkins grenade

​ Defensive Measures Exceptions

Especially during the period when invasion was imminent, the Home Guard was seen by higher
planning authorities as a defensive blocking force with a specific anti-armour role. Fire and movement
was not their forte – digging in to defend their village, factory or town until relieved was. All upper
limits under the standard CoC rules concerning the deployment of fortifications, roadblocks,
compound charges and minefields are doubled.

​ AT socket mines
Note: Socket mines do not use the rules from the early war supplement. All the preparation work had
been carried out in advance. REME units could still be called upon to destroy bridges, underpasses and
viaducts using the rules in the Blitzkrieg 1940 handbook.

A bridge or underpass is equipped with sockets to hold AT mines stored nearby in a location secretly
recorded at the the beginning of the game. A senior leader may designate a team or section to deploy
the mines. This unit must move to the storage location, spend an action to retrieve the mines, move
to the bridge or underpass and spend another activation emplacing the mines. They are not marked
on the table. Once deployed, they will be detected but not detonated by enemy foot units within 4”
and detonated by enemy or friendly vehicles passing over them. Each unit of AT socket mines counts
as one unit of regular mines for determining the allowable limit. They are equipped with anti-lift
triggers and once placed, can only be removed by engineers as per the normal rules. The explosion
will render the bridge or underpass unusable by vehicles on a 4+ on a d6.

​ Dinner Plate Mines

Dinner plates, pie tins, disks of wood, a disrupted road surface, ploughed cricket pitch or other ad hoc
methods used to give the impression that mines have been laid. They are marked as for regular mines.
They are cleared by any enemy foot unit coming into contact. Each support point spent gives two
standard units of fake mines. Theses two units of fake mines count as one when determining the
maximum number of mines allowed to the player. Players are cautioned to not be too clever with their
modelling lest they give the game away that is to say, all mines on table should be modelled as dinner
plate mines.

​ Milk Churn Mine and Milk Churns

A milk churn, produce storage box, letter box, rubbish bin, blue Police Box or other innocuous object
that contains explosives equivalent to a satchel charge. It is detonated by a specified team or section
when activated by a senior leader. This team or section must have line of sight to the charge and has
not yet moved during the game. Each milk churn mine comes with 2 normal milk churns or objects
that can be placed as the HG player sees fit. Live milk churns are equipped with anti-lift triggers and
once placed, can only be removed by engineers as per the normal rules. Each milk churn and its
dummies counts as one unit of mines for determining the allowable maximum.

​ Fougasse

A fougasse is one or more barrels of flammable liquid with a small ejection and ignition charge at the
bottom. They were usually buried in roadside earthen banks . They are command detonated by a unit
activated by a senior leader. This unit must have line of sight to the fougasse and that not yet moved
during the game. Their position and direction of fire must be marked on a map held by the HG player.
They act as a one shot infantry flamethrower, attacking all units in the direction of fire to a range of 6”.

There were hedge hopper variants that projected the flaming barrel over an intervening wall or hedge,
but they had to be emplaced by Royal Engineers. Again their location must be recorded along with an
impact point within 2” of that location and direction of fire must be recorded. They attack all units
within a 4” radius of the impact point. Hard cover such as stone walls will block all effects on units
behind that cover. Soft cover provides no benefit.

Each fougasse of either variety counts as one unit of mines. They are equipped with anti-lift triggers
and once placed, can only be removed by engineers as per the normal rules.
​ Road Obstacle
Typically made of a coil of barbed wire attached to a wheeled frame, this obstacle can be opened or
closed as an action. It stops infantry in the same manner as barbed wire and will stop the first soft,
wheeled vehicle to hit it but not tracked. It counts as crushed wire once destroyed.

​ Roadblocks
A note on roadblocks. Permanent obstacles were only constructed on the authorization of the local
regular command authority and therefore may not be in the best location. Roadblocks may be placed
as in the main rules.
Optionally, roadblocks are placed by scenario prior to the patrol phase. Patrol markers may be moved
over or around them at will. Players will have to balance putting the roadblock far enough forward to
affect enemy movement but not so far forward that enemy patrols will find a route around it.

​ Anti-Landing stakes
Effectively a road block for gliders, anti-landing stakes cover the same area as a unit of mines. Each
unit of anti-landing stakes in one of the 6 table sections used for resolving glider landings counts as
one glider already landed in that section for determining collisions.

​ Bed Sheet
A bed sheet, blanket or other flimsy object providing up to a 4” width of concealment to fortifications,
troops, mines and obstacles behind it. It must be strung between two buildings, trees or similar
supporting structures. It blocks line of sight until crossed by any enemy unit.

Option: Could also be a freestanding wooden hoarding or similar providing concealment until it is hit
by a support weapon or vehicle.

​ Improvised Smoke
Oil-soaked blankets, pots of pitch or other methods of producing smoke were made up and stored by
Home Guard units. Improvised smoke acts exactly as an ordinary smoke except it cannot be thrown so
it is placed on the board with in 1” of the unit deploying it. Further, ignition of such improvised devices
was uncertain. Roll a D6 on a 1 or 2 the device fails to ignite. The deploying unit may use a subsequent
action or a leader may use an initiative to re-roll for ignition. A failure on the re-roll means the device
does not work at all.

​ Bunkers
A wide range of bunkers were built during the period when invasion was most likely. In general, these
were constructed along landing beaches and inland Stop Lines as part of the GHQ defensive plan. As
such, they were built of reinforced concrete and properly sited for mutual support or to cover
important objectives. All but the weapon position have been re-classified as fortifications.

For one off games, after the patrol phase is completed, bunkers are indicated on a map anywhere
behind the line of friendly jump off markers. Their arcs of fire / firing slits must be clearly indicated.
Mapped bunkers can be manned by deploying a unit into them rather than using the standard
jump-off procedure.

Alternatively, a bunker can be placed on the table using the existing entrenchment rules.
​ Weapon Position
A purpose-built open weapon pit providing cover as for a bunker but not overhead. An example would
be a pre-constructed concrete Blacker Bombard position. Though they were constructed as part of the
defensive plan, their lack of overhead cover means they are not consider to be fortifications.
Mortars and weapons with a back blast can be used from within the weapon position. Effectively,
these are the same as the Entrenchments used in the main rules except they give +1 versus overruns
in normal or soft ground and +2 in hard or frozen ground because of their stronger construction. For
Home Guard scenarios, it is suggested that weapon positions be indicated on a map.
​ Small Bunker
A Type 22 or equivalent fortification providing bunker cover for one infantry team or one support
weapon of HMG size or smaller. Mortars and weapons with a back blast cannot be used from within
the bunker. It counts as a fortification per the Blitzkrieg handbook
​ Medium Bunker
A larger bunker offering full protection to a section or squad sized unit including any support weapons
organic to the unit. A Type 27 or Lozenge Pill box would be an example as would a suitably sized Ruck
pillbox. A Medium Bunker may include a light AA position Mortars and weapons with a back blast
cannot be used from within the bunker. It counts as a fortification per the Blitzkrieg handbook
​ Large Bunker
A very large bunker providing cover for a heavy support weapon and crew for example an anti-tank or
field gun. It includes embrasures for defensive LMG and rifle positions. The Type 28 would be an
example. Mortars and weapons with a back blast cannot be used from within the bunker. It counts as
a fortification per the Blitzkrieg handbook

​ Croft's Pikes
Emergency close combat weapons issued to Home Guard and airfield defence units as a substitute for
a rifle and bayonet. Not a proper English Civil War pike. A section equipped with pikes fights in hand to
hand normally but cannot fire. For each section so equipped, gain 1 additional support point.
Technically, the pikes were only available in quantity in late 1941 when better weapons were available.
For earlier dates, consider them to be other forms of improvised close combat weapons.

​ Bicycles
Use the Bicycle Mounted Troops rules from the Blitzkrieg 1940 handbook

​ Improvised Armoured Vehicle

Any of a number of improvised armoured vehicles built on commercial truck chassis and armoured
with sandbags, boilerplate or the equivalent. Well over the designed chassis weight, their mobility
especially off road was limited.
​ Car and truck
Standard civilian vehicles capable of carrying a section in the truck and a team in the car. Both can be
used to tow the Smith Gun. I have removed the Fast option since it gives benefits offroad that are not
deserved.

​ Motorcycle and Motorcycle Combination (sidecar)

Use the Motorcycle Mounted Troops rules from the Blitzkrieg 1940 handbook
Sniper
​ A WWI veteran sniper team with superior weapons such as a scoped Ross Rifle or a civilian target
rifle from the U.S. The team gets the +1 for repeated shots on their initial target. They can only
deploy within 9” of a jump off point and redeploy within 12 “ of their current position.

​ Sub-artillery
With much of Britain's anti-tank capability left behind in France, many creative and sometimes
dangerous weapons were created to fill the gap.
Sub-artillery supports do not come with their own crews. Suitable manpower must be taken from
existing rifle units.
Older Field Gun
Any number of older breech loading field pieces were made available to Home Guard units when they
weren't put back in harness for the regular army. Generally in the 3-4” range and firing an effective HE
or shrapnel round, they had a limited AT ability.

Range: Line of Sight

Crew: 5
AP: 2 HE: 6

​ Smith gun
Firing a low velocity round from a 3” smooth barrel, the Smith gun's performance was better than
expected. Of an ingenious design, it was tipped onto its wheel to give it 360 degree traverse. Its
wheeled limber also carried a good supply of ready ammunition. It can be towed by a car, truck or
armoured vehicle. Doing this regularly could damage the gun but this is not likely to be a problem in
the time frame of the game.

Maximum range: 200 yards or 60”

Crew: 5
AP:4 HE: 5

​ Northover Projector “Projector, 2.5 inch”

The Northover Projector was little more than a tube on a tripod firing the No. 76 Special Incendiary
Grenade, an upscale Molotov cocktail. It could also fire any standard rifle or hand grenade. At 60
pounds it could be considered to be just portable. Many Home Guard units mounted their Projectors
on carts or even motorcycle side cars. A one off tank hunter was produced by adding extra armour
plate to the front of a Universal Carrier and mounting a Northover in the weapons position.

Type 76 Grenade
When firing the Type 76 Grenade, the Northover acts as a point effect flamethrower with a firepower
of 6 too high? and range as below. On a roll with three or more 1's, the crew has fumbled a round and
they are subject to a Molotov attack. The Type 76 grenade produces a standard 3” smoke cloud at the
point of impact.

Optional chemical effect: units moving through the smoke produced by the No. 76 gain one shock due
to the phosphorus fumes.

Mills Bomb
As rifle grenade with no minimum range.

Type 36 Grenade
AP 4

Maximum range: 150 yards or 45” against vehicles, 300 yards or 90” against static targets.
Crew: 3

​ Blacker Bombard
The blacker Bombard was a spigot mortar designed to throw a 20 pound anti-tank or a 14 pound
anti-personnel bomb. Although it came with a four legged firing platform, a great many pre-prepared
positions were created for this weapon. It was also issued to regular forces and saw some use in the
desert.

Range: Line of Sight (450 yards for AP or 785 yards HE)

Crew: 3
Firepower: 4 HE 7 AP

​ Improvised Mortar
One of many devices created to throw a standard Mills bomb. Uses light mortar rules. Maximum
range: 200 yards / 60”
HE effect as standard hand grenade.

Option: Leach Trench Catapult or West Spring Gun. As above but there is no smoke or sound on
discharge to give the unit away. The firing unit does not come off overwatch when firing,

​ Boyes ATR
As Boyes from the British 1940 list
Crew: 2
​ EY Rifle Grenade Launcher
A Lee Enfield converted and strengthened specifically to launch grenades, the EmergencY launcher
was ineffectual as a battle rifle.
H.E.: As standard rifle grenade
AP as Type 36 Grenade under Northover Projector above. Range: 24”

​ Antique Cannon
Including punt guns, Clarke Cannon, saluting pieces and other old muzzle loading guns loaded up with
whatever powder can be scrounge behind a collection of gravel, langrage and bits of glass. Its location
must be specified at the start of the game as must its direction of fire if not mounted on a pintle or
other rotating mount. It cannot move other than to swivel if so mounted. It has a range of 36” and
attacks all units enemy and friendly within 2” of either side of the line of fire with a firepower of 6. If
three or more ones are rolled, it explodes attacking its target as normal but killing its crew.
It need not be placed onto the board until spotted by the enemy or fired. It is a one shot weapon and
cannot be reloaded within the time frame of the game.
While an antique gun is a mine of sorts, it does not count towards the allowable number of mines.
However, abusing this is ungentlemanly play. It is suggested that no more than one or two antique
cannon be allowed per village on the table.
Crew:2 if it can swivel, 1 if a fixed mounting

​ Home Guard Flamethrower

The Home Guard flamethrower was semi-portable hand pumped flamethrower that acted more like a
fougasse. It does not need to be indicated on the map but may be deployed as an AT ambush. It
attacks once as a standard fougasse above. It counts as a heavy weapon for ambush purposes.

Crew: 3

​ Harvey flamethrower
As the standard British infantry flamethrower but bulky and hard to move. Cannot move more than
2d6” per phase. It counts as a heavy weapon for ambush purposes.

Crew: 2

​ “I'll put you through now...”

Similar to a field telephone. Any leader in a residential building can contact any unit under its
command that is also in a residential building as if by radio - as long as the enemy does not control a
designated switch board building and / or destroy telephone lines (which should therefore be
modelled)
​ Aux Units
The Auxiliary Units were specially picked groups of men tasked with acting as stay behind units for
their local area. They were supported by women who maintained communications between GHQ and
the local aux unit. Their job was not to engage in direct combat, but to carry out sabotage, disrupt
German lines of communication and assassinate collaborators and German officers. Their life
expectancy was very short.
Because of their stay behind role and small team size, Aux units are not suitable to be deployed on the
table even in a skirmish game like Chain of Command. However, in the case of a post invasion
scenario, the effects of their off table actions may have an effect on the on table forces.
​ “I have a special job for you my lad...”
List 1
Use the Francs Tireurs rules as written

​ Enemy Supports for Home Guard Scenarios

Despite Churchill's skepticism, there was significant support for fascist ideology in pre-war Britain.
While most of the obvious characters were rounded up and imprisoned for the duration, there were
likely a few undiscovered sleeper agents or disgruntled yobs ready to take up the Fascist cause again if
it looked like Britain was going to lose.
Shabby Nazi Tricks
The Shabby Nazi Tricks from the Blitzkrieg supplement as written with two exceptions.

Shabby Trick Two: Civilians is not available to the German player. After seeing the chaos created by
refugees and other civilians clogging the roads on the continent, the British Government embarked on
a program to instruct civilians caught in the combat zone or behind enemy lines to stay in place, stay
out of the way and stay off the roads. We can only speculate on the effectiveness of these
instructions, however unlike the other nations, there was at least a plan.
Despite this, Nuns with Guns remains available.

Shabby Trick Four: Jean Claude

This shabby trick is used as written but must of course be renamed Osric Mousely or Paddy O’Really as
appropriate for the given scenario or battle.

​ Support Lists

The lists below reflect the same costs as used for regular units.

Note: Use the vehicles from the existing British lists. In any event, AFV support should be a rare thing
for the Home Guard.

Home Guard Support List Early

 List -1
Croft's Pikes.
List One
Sticky Bomb or similar
Two Petrol Bombs
Dinner Plate Mines
Road Obstacle
Anti-Landing Stakes
Entrenchments for one Team
Bed sheet
Improvised Smoke
Bicycles to mount one team
EY Rifle Grenade Launcher
Medical Orderly
Adjutant
Minefield
Barbed Wire
Car, no crew
List Two
AT socket mines
Antique Cannon no crew
Weapon Position
Bicycles to mount one section
Roadblock
Tank Hunter Team Early, 4 men
Anti‐Tank Rifle Team, 2 regular crew
Add uncrewed Lewis to any section.
Motorcycle
Aux Unit
List Three
Fougasse
Truck, bus or delivery van capable of transporting one section. Un-armoured and un-crewed
Milk Churn Mine
Motorcycle Combination
Sniper Team
Home Guard Flamethrower
Home Guard infantry section with Junior leader
Small Bunker
Vickers MMG on tripod mount, no crew.
List Four
Improvised armoured vehicle. No crew.

Regular Infantry Squad with Junior Leader

Vickers MMG on tripod mount, regular crew.
Light Tank with Junior Leader
Cruiser Tank with Junior Leader
Medium Bunker
Harvey flamethrower
Two Pounder with 5 Regular crew and Junior leader.
List Five
Older Field Gun – no crew
Large Bunker
 Home Guard Support List Middle
List -1
Croft's Pikes.
List One
Sticky Bomb, Hawkins Grenade or similar
Two Petrol Bombs
Dinner Plate Mines
Road Obstacle
Anti-Landing Stakes
Entrenchments for one Team
Bed sheet
Improvised Smoke
Bicycles to mount one team
EY Rifle Grenade Launcher
Aux Unit
Medical Orderly
Adjutant
Minefield
Barbed Wire
Car, no crew
List Two
Add uncrewed Lewis to any section.
Roadblock
Motorcycle
Tank Hunter Team Middle, 4 men
Anti‐Tank Rifle Team, 2 men
AT socket mines
Antique Cannon
Weapon Position
Bicycles to mount one section
List Three

Fougasse
Truck, bus or delivery van capable of transporting one section. Un-armoured
Milk Churn Mine
Up-grade Platoon LMG to Vickers tripod
Sniper Team
Home Guard Flamethrower
Home Guard infantry section with Junior leader
Motorcycle Combination

List Four
Improvised armoured vehicle.
Regular Infantry Squad with Junior Leader
Vickers MMG on tripod mount, regular crew.
Light Tank with Junior Leader
Cruiser Tank with Junior Leader
Medium Bunker
Harvey flamethrower
Two Pounder with 5 Regular crew and Junior leader.
40mm Bofors Gun, 5 crew with Junior Leader. This HG unit also crews an AA gun.
Parashots
Forward Observer and 3” mortar battery
List Five
“I've been to Bisley you know”.
Older Field gun with crew
Large Bunker

Home Guard Support List Late

List One
Sticky Bomb, Hawkins Grenade or similar
Two Petrol Bombs
Dinner Plate Mines
Road Obstacle
Anti-Landing Stakes
Entrenchments for one Team
Bed sheet
Improvised Smoke
Bicycles to mount one team
Medical Orderly
Adjutant
Minefield
Barbed Wire
EY Rifle Grenade Launcher
Aux Unit
List Two
Tank Hunter Team - Late, 4 men
Anti‐Tank Rifle Team, 2 men
AT socket mines
Antique Cannon
Weapon Position
Roadblock
Motorcycle
Bicycles to mount one section
List Three
Sniper Team
Fougasse
Truck, bus or delivery van capable of transporting one section. Un-armoured no crew
Milk Churn Mine
Home Guard Flamethrower
Bren carrier with crew
Motorcycle Combination
Small Bunker
List Four
Improvised armoured vehicle. No crew
Regular Infantry Squad with Junior Leader
40mm Bofors Gun, 5 crew with Junior Leader. This HG unit also crews an AA gun.
Home Guard Infantry Squad with Junior Leader
Forward Observer and 3” mortar battery
Regular Vickers MMG on tripod mount, 5 crew
Large Bunker
List Five
Older Field gun with crew
Harvey flamethrower
Medium Bunker
List Six
M3 Half Track or APC with driver
Light Tank with Junior Leader

List Seven
Medium Tank with Junior Leader
List Eight
Heavy Tank with Junior Leader

​ Additions to Tables
​ Home Guard Additions to Table Seven Hand-Held Anti-Tank Weapons
Add the Petrol Bomb and satchel charge from the German and Russian lists.

​ Home Guard Additions to Table Four The Master Arsenal Table

Home Guard Arsenal Table
Infantry Weapons
Weapon Firepower Close Effective Notes
Shotgun 3/1 0-6” 6-12” Acts as SMG for
close combat. See
below for AP
rounds
Home Built 1 30” 48” As 2” mortar but
mortar HE only maximum
range 60”. No
Smoke.
Homemade All as one hit
 grenade grenades with any
double on the
throw meaning it
didn't go off
Lewis Gun 5 0-18” Over 18” Lose 2 Firepower
See new early war when crew
rules reduced to 1. 5
dice per Rich

Home Guard Arsenal Table

Vehicles
Vehicle Armour A.P. H.E. Speed Notes
Beaverette 1 MG Wheeled Open Top
Beaverette II 1 MG Wheeled Turreted MG
Improvised 2 As passengers As passengers Wheeled Carries up to
armoured one section.
vehicle Slow, Cannot
move in
broken or
heavy going.
Car None As passengers As passengers Wheeled Carries one
team.
Truck None As passengers As passengers Wheeled Carries one
section.
Motorcycle None As passenger As passenger Wheeled Fast, Carries
rider and one
passenger
Motorcycle None As weapon As weapon Wheeled Fast, Carries
Combination rider, one or
two
passengers,
one support
weapon.
Anti-Tank Guns and Infantry Guns
Gun A.P. H.E.
Smith Gun 4 5
Northover As 6 dice FT for Type 76 or AP 4 for Type 36 As 6 dice FT or 2 dice grenade
Projector
Blacker 7 4
Bombard
Boys ATR 3 1
Antique 1 5
Cannon
Older Field 2 6
Gun
 Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon 0-6” 6-9” 9-18” 18-24” 24-48” H.E.
Shotgun 1 1 nil nil nil As shotgun
(single ball
bearing round)

​ Scenarios
The Defence of The Battle of Bloodford Village TBD

​ Tactical notes
As with the regular British infantry, the Home Guard Section is divided into a gun group and an assault
group. Where an LMG was not available, the gun group was to be equipped with rifles. Shotguns and
sub-machine guns were assigned to the assault groups. In theory, a sniper was tasked with both
protecting the gun group and helping shoot in the assault.

Portability of MMGs such as the Vickers and its American equivalents was considered to be a problem
for the Home Guard. Because of this, they were not tasked with long range fire support but to provide
enfilade fire shooting across the front of defended positions.

In the Home Guard, platoons and sections were administrative rather than tactical units. Battle
Platoons and Squads were the actual fighting units. In the regular army, a section had an
establishment of 10 men. Allowing for men lost to sickness, detached duties and other circumstances,
this gave an effective combat strength of 8. Given its part time nature, in the Home Guard, a section
could have an established strength as high as 25 men again to give an effective strength of 8.

​ Designer's Notes
The impetus for this list lies in the classic television series Dad's Army, and with my maternal
grandfather's service in the Home Guard and my paternal grandfather serving as an ARP. War games
Foundry's England Invaded series of miniatures have of course given many a gamer that new period
itch.

In keeping with the overall Lardies's philosophy this is not so much a list as a set of guidelines. I doubt
it will survive the min/maxing found in other rules sets. For the Home Guard especially, structures and
equipment could vary widely. For example, early in the war, rifles and other weapons were first given
to those units in likely invasion areas. Later in the war, when the organization was more like the
regular force standard, some units had small arms at best but manned Heavy AA guns and rocket
batteries.

It should be obvious that the support lists have a lot of flavour items and I fully acknowledge that
these fit in more with how we like to think the Home Guard would have fought than what the reality
would have been. For many of the other support options I have put them in as upgrades to existing
units rather additional troops. This is both to reflect weapon shortages and to encourage the player to
make decisions about support. In 1940 one can field a force very much like a regular British infantry
platoon with 1 LMG per section, but you will be short on bodies and short on heavier support. In both
the flavour and the shortage camps are the improvised weapons. How they would have fared in actual
combat will never be know but they are a part of Home Guard mythology. Other weapons like the
Blacker Bombard and Smith gun performed better than expected, the former in actual combat, as long
as their limitations were taken into account.

I have been generous with the early support lists. D.M. Clarke notes that the Home Guard did not
begin to receive large stocks of grenades until early 1941 which would restrict the use of improvised
mines etc. Feel free to restrict these items if you so desire.

A big thank you to Ross for all his help and invaluable input, Mike for testing the list out and Rich and
all the Lardie's for the Chain of Command rules. Most importantly a very big thank you to the
un-numbered men and women who put in a full day of war work then went out again to keep their
homes and country safe.

Pat Gilliland

​ Bibliography
​ Books and publications
Brayley, Martin J. The British Home Front. Osprey Publishing Limited, 2005

Clarke, D. M. Arming the British Home Guard, 1940-1944. PhD thesis. Cranfield University, 2010

Green, Graham. The Lieutenant Died Last. Collier's, 1940.

Langdon-Davies, John (Major). The Home Guard Training Manual. John Murray & The Pilot Press, 6th
ed. 1942

Levy, Bert “Yank”. Guerrilla Warfare. Paladin Press, 1964

Lowry, Bernard. British Home Defences 1940-45, Osprey Publishing Company, 2004

Newbold, David Anthony. British planning and preparations to resist invasion on land, September 1939
- September 1940., PhD thesis, King’s College, London, 1988

The War Office et al, Home Guard Manual, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1941 (reprint by Tempus
Publishing, 2006; published for the New Zealand Home Guard, based upon books and pamphlets
produced by the War Office for the British Home Guard)

The War Office et al, Infantry Training, Part VIII – Fieldcraft, Battle Drill, Section and Platoon Tactics.
His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1944

The War Office et al, Small Arms Training, Volume I General, Rifle, Bayonet & Revolver. His Majesty's
Stationery Office, 1931
The War Office et al, Small Arms Training, Volume II Light Automatic, Grenade and Small Arms
Anti-Aircraft. His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1931

​ Film and television

Dad's Army Writ. Jimmy Perry, David Croft. BBC, 1968-1977. Television Series

Dad's Army Dir. Norman Cohen. Columbia Pictures, 1971. Film.

Dad's Army Dir. Oliver Parker. Universal Pictures, 2016. Film.

It Happened Here Dir. Kevin Brownlow, Andrew Mollo. United Artists, 1964. Film.

Resistance Dir. Amit Gupta, Metrodome Distribution, 2011. Film.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Dir. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. General Film Distributors,
1943. Film

Went the Day Well? Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti. Ealing Studios, 1942. Film