503929 George Burton Home Guard 3rd. C.O.L. Battn. I joined the Home Guard as a messenger with 3rd. C.O.L.Battn. we were based at 10 Stone Bldgs. Lincoln Inn (with the Inns of Court T.A.) in August 1940. Our O/C was Maj. Rose, a QC, a lot of members were either barristers or lawyers. I was 14yrs old at the time and lived at Drury lane, before going into the army at 17 1/2 yrs. Through the day I worked as a vanboy in Smithfield meat market. When I first joined with my bicycle, the only weapons we had were Pikes, which were nearly twice my height,later we got the American p14 rifle, and later still got a Piat gun, we also got a lot of training from the Hampshire Regt. Before I got my uniform I just had a forage cap with the Royal Fusiliers badge and an L.D.V. armband, later we got issued with just denims before khaki issue.
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