The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1942. THE HOME GUARD.

Evening Star, Issue 24328, 17 October 1942, Page 4

The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1942. THE HOME GUARD.

In March the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, urged the formation of a committee of inquiry to investigate the organisation, equipment, training, and employment of the Home Guard, because there existed a widespread discontent concerning its : treatment. That committee lias only now released its‘ findings. Since Mr Holland made his representations many of the disturbing factors have disappeared, more and better equipment, including uniforms. having become available, and an effective" schedule of training adopted. The committee’s report is largely’ a .recapitulation of these developments. The most significant point .emerging from the report is the inference that the Home Guard is now really taking the place of the Territorials, being in effect an unmobilised Territorial Army. The recommendation that Army zone commanders be appointed to control area Home Guard operations and to fuse operations with existing paid Territorial forces is, as mbst Guardsmen are aware, in course of adoption, only the announcement of the actual appointments of zone commanders remaining to give effect to the recommendation and so make all* future operations a full Army responsibility. Civilian officers who have served its group and district directors till now have not the time, nor always the qualifications, demanded in controlling so vast ’an organisation as the Home Guard, and the change should in no way convey’ a lack of appreciation of the excellent work already’ done by them.

The report refers to a new type of training. The newer type of tactics demanded by modern war makes battalion and company training unnecessary, and its place is to be taken by platoon and section training, which is expected to obviate the necessity of centralised'assembly points. Two other references of considerable interest to Guardsmen, rather glossed over in the report, concern payment for parades and refund of out-of-pocket expenses. Decentralisation of training should reduce, if not completely eliminate, travelling expenses, though when these are incurred it seems that there is to be no redress. The matter of payment is a committee recommendation, if not a strongly supported one. Many Guardsmen feel that, as the parades are compulsory, payment should be made, and cite the Territorials as a precedent. But oven in the compulsory days Territorials were unpaid. It was only in the eighteen months before this war that, as a recruiting stimulant, payment for parades was made. It does not appear likely that payment will come about for parades under twentyfour hours’ duration, nor does it seem necessary so long as the men are not financially embarrassed through attending parades. The original Home Guard volunteers were not paid and did not scek'payment. although against that it may be" argued that the movement is more significant in ■every way than was over originally' visualised.