HISTORY OF THE HOME GUARD 

​ABDS  BOMB DISPOSAL UNITS

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Dad’s Army TV series and films, painted the Home Guard as bumbling but lovable and well-meaning group of men, many of which were old soldiers wanting to do their bit. But the real story of the Home Guard tells about the citizens who transformed comedy into courage. 
In May 1940, facing the looming threat of German invasion, Britain raised the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) – soon renamed the Home Guard – to plug the gap left by thousands of men already overseas. Comprised of volunteers too young or too old to be sent to the frontline, or otherwise exempt from regular service, the Home Guard quickly became a force of over 1.5 million men and by late 1940 the armed citizen militia was mobilised across the UK having over 1,200 battalions. 

Initially, the Home Guard was ill equiped and while the volunteers were provided with military-style training, they did not have any uniforms and very little equipment.
This led to the members of the Home Guard using any weapon they could lay their hands on from knives and brooms to pitchforks, hunting rifles. and even cutting down shotguns.

It was at the height of the Battle of Britain in 1940, the British War Office recognised 
that the regular Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal teams were overwhelmed by the 
increasing number of unexploded bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe.
 To protect vital war production and minimise the need for onsite detonations, 
the government authorised the creation of Auxiliary Bomb Disposal Squads (ABDS) which would become part of the Home Guard.

​​​With the creation of the Auxiliary Bomb Disposal squads (ABDS), it was decided to attach them as part of the Home Guard with the role of Guardsmen, and the specific function of bomb disposal where they were trained and equipped by the Royal Engineers.
Initially in the early days ABDS were responsible just for the location, 
identification, reporting, and preliminary clearance of unexploded bombs .

By June 1941 the Home Guard's ABDS were officially recognized, 
and they were allowed to wear the Bomb Disposal badge when qualified. 
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Weapons not initially available to the Home Guard units, became available to these specialist units. Where most of the Home Guard in the early months only used farmers shotguns and Hunting Rifles until they were issued with obsolete rifles, such as the American P14 and P17 rifles as well as the 303 Ross Rifle. The ABDS teams were issued the SLME (Short Magazine Lee Enfield) Rifle and Sten Guns.

HOMEGUARD ABDS RE-ENACTMENT GROUP

New for 2026, is the DANGER UXB Home Guard ABDS (Auxiliary Bomb Disposal Squad) ​ "12th (Swansea) Battalion, Glamorgan Home Guard".  ​Re-enactment group.
At Danger UXB, we never lose sight that our re-enactments are based on real historical events.
So with that in mind our war re-enactment displays are as accurate as we can make them.
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Weapons issued to the ABDS and Home Guard under the American lease lend program were the MI Carbine Rifle, M3 Grease Gun SMG, the classic Tommy gun and the Northover Projector As of course the iconic SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield Rifle.
Equipment carried by the ABDS, included a shoulder bag with the essential tools needed for UXB de-fusing and bomb clearance, such as the crabtree discharger, lock ring spanners, Bomb Stopper, quilter spanner and the stethascope,

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 During WWII, Port Talbot Docks were declared a “protected location” With that in mind in October 1939, with security enforced by police and military personnel, 
​antiaircraft guns, and barrage balloons were put in place  to guard 
against air attacks. 
Even with the high level of anti aircraft protection the docks experienced numerous air raids, including both high explosive and incendiary bombs bombs, 
which disrupted operations  and required the services of the newly formed
​ "12th (Swansea) Battalion, Glamorgan Home Guard".  ABDS to maintain docks functionality.
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