Home Guard Denim WW1 Veterans Uniform 1940

Home Guard WW1 Veteran Denim uniform 1940

Just After Dunkirk in July 1940 Prime Minster Winston Churchill changed the name of the LDV to the Home Guard and new Denim Uniforms with a FS Cap and an Arm Band were just starting to be Issued.

This WW1 Veteran has re-enlisted back after the famous speech in May 1940 by Antony Eden for men to defend Great Britain against invasion as the average age of a WW1 veteran in WW2 would have been 35 years this was just over the compulsory conscription age at the time. First issued with just an LDV arm Band by July 1940 he has been issued his lightweight Denim uniform together with a leather 1903 belt which would be standard issue throughout WW2 for the Home Guard eventually become an actual complete set of webbing,

He also wears his Field Service cap and the Home Guard printed Arm Band on his right upper sleeve, it was not until 1941 when BD wool uniforms were issued that shoulder titles and Numbers would have been sewn direct on to the jacket,

In 1940 boots were also in short supply so most Home Guard wore their own study work shoes/ boots and the Denim trousers have tabs at the bottom to gather them in instead of wearing gaiters, Once boots were issued  Gaiters were them worn. 

This old soldier wears his medal ribbon bar of IGS (India General Service) for the campaigns in the North West Frontier and Afghanistan post 1918  with his WW1 trio medals ribbons.