During World War II many men and women were recruited to groups to form Britain's civil defence. These people included air raid wardens, nurses, the home guard and fire fighters. The aim was to ensure that Britain would be prepared in the event of an enemy attack. The Home Guard or Local Defence Volunteers as they were called in 1940 were created when an appeal was made by War Secretary Sir Anthony Eden for volunteers to come forward. The volunteers were unpaid and were expected to do the job while continuing with their current vocation. Over 250,000 applications to become volunteers were made and by 17th May and by July 24th 1940 there was over a million applications. Men who were not eligible for military service and between the ages of 17 and 65 were called upon to volunteer their time to patrol their local area and fight off the enemy in case of attack. Thousands of men in Edinburgh became part of the Home Guard, initially signing up at their local police station and then being divided into districts and companies. The home guard in Edinburgh even manned anti-aircraft rocket batteries.
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries