Canal boats in Britain's wartime home defense

How many canal boats were pressed into Britain's Home Guard and home-defense forces?

Only a limited number could be diverted because they remained vital freight carriers, though some mounted searchlights and anti-aircraft guns.

Narrowboats remained important freight carriers during the war. Diverting one into home defence meant giving up part of that transport capacity, so the new task had to justify the loss. Some boats carried searchlights and anti-aircraft guns at important facilities. Some of their crews came from the Women's Auxiliary Air Force rather than the Home Guard. No total number of diverted boats is established.