1943 Homeguard at BGS Mansel Dinnis collection.jpg

I posted the photo on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group and Heather Dougals's husband came up with a clearer version - his grandad is No 42 in the second photo where I have added numbers and made the names easier to read.

No. 14 updated - christian name from Chris Davies.

There are a couple of names here that are very interesting to me in my research - Hedley and Heron. If anybody has any information about the 14th batt. Bedlington, I'd love to know more about them. What was their connection to BGS?

@Canny lass - I have no info. There are a lot of officers for a small town. I wonder how many Private's - Lance Corporal's & Corporal's there were?

16 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

There are a lot of officers for a small town. I wonder how many Private's - Lance Corporal's & Corporal's there were?

Good question!

This gathering was more likely to have been for those officers based in the wider 'local area' attending a centralised training session at the Grammar School.  Most of the villages/towns in the area of south Northumberland (and Nationwide) would have had Home Guard troupes under the command of an officer so I reckon they could be from Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, and assorted villages.

17 minutes ago, Symptoms said:

This gathering was more likely to have been for those officers based in the wider 'local area' attending a centralised training session at the Grammar School.  Most of the villages/towns in the area of south Northumberland (and Nationwide) would have had Home Guard troupes under the command of an officer so I reckon they could be from Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, and assorted villages.

I'm with you I have been checking another photo - West Sleekburn Home Guard, also 1943 - there are 71 in the Sleekburn phot but only 9 named.

On 14/11/2022 at 12:50, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

No. 14 updated - christian name from Chris Davies.

No 40 named as her grandfather by Joy Saint James on the Bygone Bedlington FB group.