The Dad's Army caricature obscures the experience and purpose behind much of the Home Guard. Many members were World War I veterans who knew their locality and understood the enemy through earlier service. Their orders emphasized delaying German forces rather than defeating an invasion alone, buying time for relatives to escape and for the wider defence to react. Their personal memories of the previous war became part of Britain's World War II anti-invasion system.
Notable Point · 38:03-38:50
World War I veterans gave the Home Guard a delaying mission
The Home Guard drew heavily on local World War I veterans expected to delay an invasion long enough for civilians and the wider defence to react.