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No.3. Company consisted of the following platoons:-

Platoon Headquarters Commanders

No. 1. Platoon Breedon-on-the Hill W. Thurley

No. 2. Platoon Worthington C. Platts

No. 3. Platoon Griffydam J. Ford

No. 4. Platoon Staunton Harold The Earl Ferrers

No. 5. Platoon Osgathorpe A. Millward

No. 6. Platoon Coleorton A. Walker

No. 7. Platoon New Lount Colliery Frank Hodges

Some re-organisation took place in the Leicestershire Home Guard at the end of 1940 and the Ashby Battalion was re-named the 11th (Ashby-de-la-Zouch) Battalion. It came under the command of Lt-Colonel L. A. Statham from 23.11.1942 following the death of Major W. H. Sowter, who had previously commanded the Ashby Battalion. The Battalion’s HQ still remained at the Drill Hall, Ashby.

The 11th (Ashby-de-la-Zouch) Battalion was divided into seven companies A, B, C, D, E, F and G as shown below and Griffydam was part of ‘C’ Company whose HQ's was at the Waggon and Horses.

A Company HQ: Donisthorpe Colliery

B Company HQ: 20 Wood Street, Ashby

C Company HQ: Waggon & Horses, Griffydam

D Company HQ: The Grammar School, Appleby Magna

E Company HQ: Tower Chambers, High Street, Coalville

F Company HQ: Owen Street, Coalville

G Company HQ: Drill Hall, Coalville

The headquarters for the Griffydam platoon was the Waggon & Horses public house (now a private residence). John (Jack) Ford, landlord of the Waggon & Horses at the time, was the Commander of the Griffydam Home Guard.

They met in two Nissen huts (marked by the red arrow) at the rear of the Waggon and Horses

GRIFFYDAM HOME GUARD

The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Battalion was affiliated to the Leicestershire Home Guard. It had its HQ's at the Drill Hall in Ashby and was under the command of Major W. H. Sowter. Second in command/adjutant was Captain L.A. Statham. The Battalion’s No. 3. Company was formed between July and September 1940, and known as Breedon and Coleorton. The transition from the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) to the Home Guard was still taking place at this time.

The No. 3. Company headquarters was The Three Horseshoes, Breedon-on-the-Hill. The company commander was: J. Shields. Second in command was The Revd C. M. K. Parsons.

Griffydam Home Guard And Part Of The Ashby Battalion

Forming a guard of honour at the wedding at St. Peter's Church, Highfields, Leicester of Mr. E. F. Whyman of Griffydam and Miss. E. Howe, of Belgrave Street, Leicester.

LHS Front to Back: Harry Johnson, ? Johnson, Horace Westley, Joe Witham

RHS Front to Back: Lieutenant Jack Ford, ??, Joe Billings, ? Hall, Harry Johnson’s Son

The Nissen Huts would have looked similar to those shown. The Griffydam Home Guard used one of the Nissen huts for storage and the other as a meeting room with accommodation.

After the war, families lived in the Nissen huts due to lack of available housing. We know from school records that in 1953, the Rose family was living in one of the huts.

NISSEN HUTS

During WWI Britain required a massive number of buildings for barracks, warehousing, and offices that could be built quickly. In 1916, Lt. Col. Peter Nissen, came up with the idea of a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel.

Their explosives and armaments were stored in a shed in the approx. location identified by the yellow circle on the map. The strongly constructed brick built building is now used as a garden store. It originally had a flat concrete roof and measures approx. 12 ft x 25 ft x 10 ft (h). It has 9 inch thick walls with air bricks, concrete floor and roof. It had double doors front and rear. An added feature is a lightning conductor at the rear (covered by ivy).

It is located in what was then a field belonging to the Henshaw family who owned the property at the end of Elder Lane (opposite the Waggon & Horses). It was strategically placed well away from local properties.

Griffydam Home Guard Weapons Store Today