I found Peter Wright’s remarks and the names of the members of the Locomotive Home Guard interesting.
My father, a Home Guard member, not on the photo, regularly travelled as a guard based at Whitemoor to Temple Mills, London.
On one occasion, on the train’s arrival at London, an air raid was taking place and he, the driver and fireman, all March men, were obliged to shelter beneath a truck.
When they emerged, to their consternation, a land mine on its parachute had entangled with a signal gantry a few yards away! They beat a hasty retreat!
Another March guard en route to March from London was repeatedly attacked by a German aircraft, which was unusual as engines were preferred targets.
The guard put himself in the van’s substantial locker and emerged at Whitemoor to find not much of the van remained.
The enemy pilot must have had a grudge against railway guards! Not surprisingly, the guard had to have time off.
TREVOR BEVIS
St Peter’s Road
March
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