Probus Home Guard
On 10th May 1940, Hitler's forces invaded the low countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) to bring an end to the Phoney War and the threat of an invasion of Britain closer to reality. It was also the day on which Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain.
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Four days later, Anthony Eden, the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, broadcast to the nation appealing for volunteers for a new defensive force on the Home Front.
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This volunteer force, it was hoped, would help Britain meet the threat posed by the dropping of enemy paratroopers and prevent a German invasion. The new force would be called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) and Eden asked for men aged between 17 and 65 who were not already enlisted and wished to do their bit to step forward.
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In the first twenty four hours following Eden's broadcast 250,000 men volunteered.1 By July 1940, nearly 1.5 million men had enrolled.2
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As enemy paratroopers would likely be dropped to capture and hold strategic points and locations, including villages, ahead of the main invasion force, the war suddenly became even more real in Probus.
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Mobilisation of Men
This recruitment poster was displayed a day before a parade for those who'd already signed up and for those who still wanted to. The parades in Truro and Veryan took place exactly one week after Anthony Eden's broadcast.3
The poster above is interesting for many reasons. Firstly, it highlights the speed at which everything was moving. The first parades were to take place the day after this poster appears in front of the public.
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It also highlights the shortage of supply of weapons the LDV faced as men were asked to take information relating to Rifles, Revolvers and Ammunition they possess. Anyone who possessed these weapons or ammunition but were not volunteering to serve were also asked to supply information about them if they were willing to lend them.
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The greatest number of men were desired as employers were implored to release workers to attend the parades, and they were also asked to provide transport for them too!
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Volunteers who were attending and owned a car were asked to drive to the centre of their village to provide lifts to other volunteers to enable them to attend the parades.
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We can also see that the Probus LDV fell under the Truro Police Division Group
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​​​By July 7th 1940, just under eight weeks since Anthony Eden's broadcast, the Probus platoon were well established and were carrying out patrols in and around the village. They were led by Captain Henry Tresawna.
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Henry was 62 years old when the LDV formed and it is easy to understand why he was given command of the platoon. During the First World War, Henry served with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Iraq, Palestine and India.4 He followed in his father's footsteps as a Farmer and Land Agent outside of his military service. Henry was a founder member of Probus Comrades Club, a Churchwarden in the village for many years and was also the Vice-President of Probus Cricket Club and Horse Show.5 Clearly he had all the skills, local knowledge, and the respect of the people required to lead the Probus Platoon of the LDV in 1940.
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By the first week of July 1940, Captain Tresawna had organised his men into six sections. The lists below show the sections and the men assigned to each of them.6
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Probus Men Respond
1. Norman Longmate, The Real Dad's Army, 12
2. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-real-dads-army
3. https://devoranwarmemorial.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/devoran-and-carnon-downs-home-guard-ww2/
4. Cornish Guardian. Thursday 30th May 1968, 13. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002824/19680530/238/0013?browse=False
5. Ibid,13
6. AD879/80
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