List of Willington Home Guard Members

18 Platoon D Company Willington Home Guard October 1944 [X535/1]
to see a larger version, please click on the image

The men shown in the photograph above are (left to right):

• Back Row: J. Swaffield; W. Leonard; A. Matthews; R. F. Cooper; A. Pendall; S. Cooper; C. Cross; A. Cave; F. Down; C. Sharman; G. Cowley; Weaver;
• Centre Row: S. Surkitt; L. F. Golder, S. Spavins; R. Theobalds; F. Cooper; C. Newell; A. Swannell; F. Goodship; W. Payne; F. Woodham; W. Woodham;
• Front Row: E. Hull; S. Carrol; E. Boness; A. Harvey; L. N. Wright; Captain Rawlings [the Company Commander]; W. J. D. Chibnall; S. A. Ray; A. Askham; F. Lack; D. Wooding; E. Godfrey.
  

Former County Archivist Joyce Godber came from Willington. She kept files relating to the parish in the Second World War and these form part of the County Council W collection [W/W]. The following is a list of men who joined the Willington Platoon of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Home Guard:

• Albert Edward Askham, Corporal, 3rd November 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Ernest Alonzo Ball, Corporal, 7th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Ernest Cooley Bartram, Private, 8th March 1941 to 14th December 1942 when he joined the Pioneer Corps;
• John Basett, Private, 8th November 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Eric Stanley Boness, Private, 12th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Peter Boness, Private, 22nd December 1941 to 17th January 1943 when he joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps;
• John Bradley, Sergeant, 7th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Owen Michael Bradley, Lance Corporal, 8th June 1940 to 22nd July 1942 when he joined the Air Cadet Corps, later flying Bostons and Mosquitos in the Mediterranean Theatre;
• Phillip Howard Bradley, Private, 8th June 1940 to 7th November 1941 when he joined the Royal Navy and served on a corvette;
• Sidney Francis Carroll, Lance Corporal, 28th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Alfred Bernard Cave, Private, 18th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• William John D. Chibnall, Lieutenant, 16th November 1941 to 31st December 1945;
• Charles Harold Clark, Private, 11th June 1940 to 31st December 1945, transferred to 3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Home Guard on 19th November 1942;
• Frank Redvers Cooper, Sergeant, 16th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Frederick Cooper, private, 25th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Sidney James Cooper, Private, 17th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Frederick George Cowley, Private, 20th January 1941 to 31st December 1945;
• Peter Victor Cross, Private, 11th June 1943 to 20th December 1943 when he joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps;
• William Cannon Cross, Private, 8th November 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Frederick Ernest Downs, Private, 2nd July 1940 to 12th December 1940; he served with the 2nd Battalion 20th September 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Arthur Lewis Dowson, Private, 27th September 1942 to 2nd August 1944;
• George Herbert Dowson, Private, 17th September 1943 to 20th October 1943 when he joined the Royal Navy and worked at the base in Malta;
• Jack Arthur Dowson, Private, 20th December 1942 to 9th May 1943 when he joined the AirTraining Corps, later joining the Royal Air Force and serving in India;
• George Lewis Emery, Private, 2nd July 1940 to 12th December 1940 then he served with the 2nd Battalion 20th September 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Ernest Herbert Filmer, Private, 12th February 1941 to 5th January 1943;
• Arthur Fisher, Private, 13th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• John Henry Gilbert, Private, 20th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Edward Godfrey, Lance Corporal, 19th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Henry Kenneth Golder, Private, 18th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Leonard Frank Golder, Private, 19th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Frederick George Goodship, Private, 28th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Edwin Hartwell, Private, 28th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Alfred Harvey, Corporal, 9th September 1941 to 31st December 1945;
• Albert George Hayes, Private, did not serve but transferred to 3rd Battalion, Huntingdonshire Home Guard;
• Thomas Henry Hitchins, Private, 25th May 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Edward Charles Hull, Lance Corporal, 18th July 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Lawrence Herbert Hull, Private, 20th December 1942 to 18th March 1943 when he joined the Royal Navy and served on minesweepers;
• George William Jordan, Private, 4th November 1942 to 6th April 1944 when he joined the Royal Army Service Corps;
• Francis Arthur Lack, Lance Corporal, 5th June 1943 to 31st December 1945; 
• Stanley William Larkins, Private, 24th October 1943 to 31st December 1945;
• William Leonard, Private, 28th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Ivor Michael Little, Private, 23rd December 1942 to 11th April 1943 when he joined the Royal Engineers;
• Horace Simeon Marshall, Private, 28th June 1942 to 24th April 1944;
• Arthur Mervin Matthews, Lance Corporal, 15th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Cecil William Newell, Private, 17th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Ernest Frederick Newell, Private, 14th July 1940 to 15th November 1940 when he joined the Royal Artillery and served in anti-aircraft batteries;
• Ernest William Newell, Private, 25th June 1940 to 3rd November 1941;
• Cyril Eli Nicholls, Lieutenant, 22nd June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Charles Joseph Page, Private, 7th June 1940 to 29th October 1940;
• Jacob Payne, Private, 20th September 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• William Jacob Payne, Private, 28th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Arthur Henry Pendall, Private, 17th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Phillip Pocock, Sergeant, 27th June 1940 to 20th May 1941 when he moved to E Company, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Home Guard;
• George Quince, Private, 11th June 1940 to 16th February 1942;
• George Edward Quince, Lance Corporal, 10th November 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Stanley Arthur Ray, Sergeant, 13th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• George Bruce M. Rhind, Private, 14th October 1941 to 24th January 1942 and 23rd June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Cecil Sharman, Private, 9th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Charles Sharman, Private, 7th November 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Stanley W. A. Slater, Private, 28th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Harry Sidney Spavins, Private, 12th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• William Frederick Spavins, Private, 18th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Arthur Stanley Surkitt, Private, 8th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• James Swaffield,  Private, 16th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Alfred Swannell, Private, 7th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Reginald Claude Theobalds, Private, 30th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Owen James Tollman, Private, 13th June 1940 to 19th January 1943 when he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers;
• John Bertie Weaver, Private, 18th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Maurice James Webb, Private, 8th July 1940 to 3rd March 1942 when he joined the Royal Air Force; he won the Distinguished Flying Medal flying Beaufighters and Mosquitos;
• William Webb, Private, 23rd June 1940 to 27th November 1941 when he joined the Royal Army Service Corps;
• Frederick John Woodham, Private, 11th June 1943 to 31st December 1945;
• William George Woodham, Private, 29th June 1942 to 31st December 1945;
• Derrick Charles Wooding, Lance Corporal, 7th June 1940 to 31st December 1945;
• Stanley George Wooding, Private, 18th August 1940 to 1st September 1941 when he joined the Royal Artillery and became a despatch rider;
• Leslie Noel Wright, Private, 17th June 1940 to 31st December 1945.