During WW2 the home front became of huge importance. For a string of reasons, the home front played a large role in what happened in WW2. Whether that be firing anti-aircraft guns at the German Luftwaffe over the South Coast or putting out factory fires in Coventry and all the way to women making bombs in factories and sowing seeds on the farms. All of this falls under the category of home front. As such, the subject is vast and very interesting to get stuck into. Worth noting that this is just the British home front! Most nations maintained a civil defence force but only the British one was known as the ‘home front’. So today we will have a browse of some of the WW2 home front items for sale across our partnered dealers.

WW2 Deputy Divisional/District Warden’s Helmet

British home front soldiers, civilians and members were often issued with helmets. Most of these helmets were either ex-army helmets reissued or lesser quality helmets that were not up to army standard, so passed off. Either way, this meant that many people in the UK were issued with Mk2 Brodie helmets. This particular example is a warden’s helmet with a rank bar running over the top. The markings system was introduced in 1942 to help with identification due to more and more foreign soldiers arriving in the UK for preparations before going off to Europe to the frontline.

This helmet as a whole is in good condition and the liner is well dated 1939. Aptly maker’s marked “Helmets Ltd”, the liner is a size 7, making it one of the larger mass-produced sizes.

Available from the Home Front Collection  £165.

Home Guard Leather Ammunition Pouches

A very nice original pair of Home Guard ammunition pouches. In overall good condition with strong stitching, and the rivets are all in good shape considering their age. Finding a close-matching left and right set is becoming increasingly difficult, especially given so much of the home front gear was thrown away.

Available for sale by The Collector’s Guild in the USA for $125.

WW2 Home Guard Economy Plastic Cap Badge

Here we have a nice-condition economy issue (plastic) Home Guard ‘HG’ cap badge. In very good condition considering how fragile these badges can be. It is complete with the rear pin still intact and you can make out the maker’s mark very easily. The economy badges are becoming very scarce in the collecting world. They weren’t frequently manufactured so by default, they started off as a bit of a rarity.

Available for sale from Cultman Collectables £35

Women’s Land Army Armband

A nice small item here, a Women’s Land Army armband. You would receive one of the armbands upon joining the WLA. The interest in this particular example is the added diamond on the left edge. This signifies the lady in question had served for over 6 months. It is in excellent overall condition. 

Available for sale from Home Front Collection  £45.

Women’s Land Army Proficiency Badge

Another item from the Home Front Collection here that always feature heavily on any home front list! The second plastic badge on today’s post is this Women’s Land Army economy proficiency badge. This is a rare item to find, especially in this condition. It is crisply manufactured and maintains its original colour and pin.

Available from Home Front Collection  £85.

British Woman’s F.A.N.Y. Beret

A WW2 Beret manufactured by Scott & Co. of Piccadilly for a member of the F.A.N.Y. (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). This is an official W.T.S (Women’s Transport Service) issue beret made from a light serge and has an interior of fine-glazed cotton. It has a large maker’s label sewn inside, a bronze cap badge manufactured by J.R.Gaunt, and also a name inked to the label. This is an example of the headwear which was favoured by members of the F.A.N.Y. who undertook special duties.

It is in excellent used condition with a few light moth grazes. This rare item is available for sale from World Military Collectables £245.00.

Home Guard WW2 British Haversack

Here we have another textbook home front item for sale. This is a WW2 Home Guard haversack. These bags were produced in khaki canvas, much like the army pattern, but were specifically issued to the Home Guard. With a webbing shoulder strap and webbing tab on the front for closing, this matches a lot of the army issue items. On the inside there is a faint ink stamp still visible. 

This piece is available from CS Militaria £110.

British WWII Home Front Grouping

Finally, we end this post with a very interesting group of items, all connected to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Included in the listing is the brodie helmet with the St. Bartholomew’s crest painted on the front and a diary with the same coat of arms. A medallion in its factory fitted case from the Octocentenary in 1923 plus some more books and paperwork. A truly fantastic grouping. Although the paperwork items are dated in the 1920s, the helmet brings this grouping into WW2. This isn’t the kind of group you find often! 

This home front grouping is for sale from Regimentals in the UK for £625.

Have you seen this new post: WW1 Allied Headgear

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