Canvey Island Homeguard

Uncle Arthur Valentine

Click to enlarge
Brian Hall

Brian Hall gave us a copy of this photo of the Canvey Island Home guard. His Uncle Arthur (Valentine) is 3rd from the left in the front row.

Was one of your relatives in the Home guard? Please comment below.

Comments about this page

  • Hello ,

    My Grandfather Edward Manly was in Canvey’s home guard I will post a picture of him in his Uniform and hope someone can identify him .

    I have always wondered why there is so little on this site about the home guard ,such an integral part of Canvey’s war history so thank you so much for posting this I just wish I could pick him out ,it is a little grainy.

    Many thanks Uncle Arthur 

    Kind regards 

    Jane ( nee Manly )

    By Jane Parkin (18/02/2018)
  • The print wasn’t too good Jane. I did the best I could. We have not had much given to us about the Home Guard. I do have something waiting in the wings which would give an overall view of them but it keeps going down in my list. I will see if i can find time to put it together.

    By Janet Penn (18/02/2018)
  • Not at all Janet it is such a thrill to see it .I have been trawling the net to find something I have the magnifying glass out trying to find a Match .

    I have only 3 or 4 Pictures of Edward Manly but  will post them and see if you can see a likeness.There is someone who looks like him in the above but perhaps I’m clutching at straws !

    Look forward to more !

    Thanks Janet 

    By Jane Parkin (18/02/2018)
  • If you click on the photo you will get an enlargement with more detail but still not as clear as i would like.

    By Janet Penn (18/02/2018)
  • Hello

    Is Arthur Valentine by any chance the Mr Valentine who used to run the garage in Corsel Road?

    Regards

    Sparrow

    By sparrow (19/02/2018)
  • In addition to working on damaged convoy ships in the London dry docks my father, Harry Buchanan, was also in the Canvey Island Home Guard. It’s a pity that this group photograph is cut off at each end and of poor quality. Is there a better quality one that could be improved by using photoshop?

    By Terry Buchanan (01/07/2018)
  • A Military historian recently informed me that members of the Home Guard should have received the Defence Medal for their service. My father did not have one, do any exist with the families from that time?

    By Terry Buchanan (01/07/2018)
  • As explained Terry the print we were given was very poor. It has been improved upon but if the detail is not there no amount of fiddling will make it any better.

    By Janet Penn (01/07/2018)
  • Thank you Janet, my wife, a family historian,has just downloaded information to search Home Guard records. The type of photograph shown here is distinctive of the type of record that would have been made of each unit. As an Army Photographer such records were part of our work.

    By Terry Buchanan (01/07/2018)
  • Do you have a list of names of the men in the photo?. My great uncle was in the home guard but not sure if he is in the photo. he lived in Canvey Island in the 60s -70s but not sure if he was a resident during the war. I found a home guard cap badge in his personal belongings. his name was Patrick Condon O’ Brien.

    By PAT CONNOLLY (29/12/2019)
  • I would like to think it could be my grandfather Richard (Dick) Collins top left hand. We haven’t any information about when he joined, what he did or experienced which is a shame, I just remember a photo of him in the uniform.

    By Ann Hollings (nee Dudley) (08/05/2020)
  • Looking for information on Pat O’Brien who ran the “Tuck Box” but also served in the Home Guard. Does anyone remember him? There is a story that he was involved in shooting down a German plane. Has anyone heard that?

    By Peter John Towey (23/08/2021)

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