Home Guard

English

Proper noun

Home Guard

1. (military, historical) An armed citizen defence force supporting the British Army during the Second World War, in particular, defence against any invasion by enemy forces.
   • 1940 December, “Railways and the War—III”, in Railway Magazine, page 629:

     Later in the year the title of Local Defence Volunteer was changed to the more appropriate one of Home Guard.

Translations

An armed civilian defence force

• Finnish: kodinturvajoukot
• Maori: taua tautiaki

Noun

Home Guard (plural Home Guards)

1. A member of the Home Guard.
   • 1943 March-April, John R. Hind, “The British Railways at War”, in Railway Magazine, page 95:

     Some 100,000 railwaymen have been released to join the fighting forces, 90,000 are training as Home Guards in addition to their railway work, 170,000 members of the railway staffs have been fully trained in A.R.P. duties, and 100,000 railwaywomen are now employed.

References

• “Home Guard”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.