Sheffield Home Guard at Totley Tunnel

[Guest SapperTaylor]

Hi all,

I am researching my families involvement of WW2 in Sheffield and need to locate records relating to The Home Guard and the protection of Totley Tunnel.

Anyone got any idea where to start?

Many thanks

P.S. May be of interest....My maternal Grandfather was a Sapper and he also worked at Thorncliffe also known as the Tank Factory. I have a photo of T17322SB which looks as if it has just rolled of the production line and is reputed to be the 1000th Churchill tank to be made there.

Cheers

Chris

[Guest cdp206]

The Sheffield Archives might be a starting point, as well as the Local Studies section of the Library. I can't say for certain they would have this information but it's worth a try.

[dr stanley]

Hi Chris ....... If the date of the caption is correct (pre home guard) this is probably of no use to you but "borrowed" from "Sheffield Since 1900" a Sheffield Star publication is this photo of a lone sentry guarding the entrance to Totley Tunnel at what looks like Grindleford Statin.

(Next to the splendid cafe)

[Guest SapperTaylor]

Hi Guys,

Thanks very much for your replies. I'm waiting for a shout from Sheffield Archive re my dad and we also have a Peace in the family. Dunno where that line of enquiry will finish up? The tunnel pic is brilliant thanks, i'll check out the publication from the Star.

I seem to remember the tunnel being one of the longest in Europe at the time? 6230 yards = 3.53977273 miles and was a direct link to the industrial areas of Sheffield, hence the MASSIVE defences!

Thanks again folks.

Cheers

Chris

[Guest galena]

Details of the the Command List for Yorkshire Home Guard have been published in Home Guard List 1941 Northern Command published by Savannah Paperback Classics ISBN: 1 902366 24 7. www.savannah-publications.com based on original material held by the Imperial War Museum.

War Diaries (by Battalion) of the Home Guard are held in WO 166 in The National Archives; the Ministery of Defence holds some details of those in the Home Guard but there is a £30 fee for a search of the records.

Hope this is helpful

Galena