MR DAVID BALLARD, of 46 Thirlestane, Lemsford Road, St Albans, wrote in on the subject of Croxley Green's Home Guard unit.

Further to my letter asking for photos and anecdotes of Croxley Home Guards 1939 to 1945. I have received quite a nice response from your readers.

It is obviously of interest to some older Croxley people. Apart from the letter from Mr Wiggs, which you printed and I have written to him, I had a call and photo from Mrs Morrale, another photo from a lady at Amersham.

Three photos from Chris Young of Copthorne Road and three photocopies from Mr Keith Dabbs from Chelmsford.

This name rang a bell for me, and I wrote to him. He was, as I suspected, the son of the late Benny Dabbs of pre-war Watford FC fame.

I was intrigued to find a lot of the photos were taken by a firm called Eurrett from South London the one you printed on Friday, July 6, was by Grevilles of Watford.

Sadly, out of some 250 Home Guards in the different photos I cannot pick out my own father.

Some names I remember from my fathers' time were: Arthur Pitkin, Simmond, of a local building firm; Colonel Kitten, who lived in The Drive at Rickmansworth; Percy Brown, from Harvey Road; and L Bell, from Bateman Road.

Another lady, Mrs Treacher, wrote to me about her dad being on our photo. He was Bert Knight, from Frankland Road.

Also, another lady who I went to school with told me her father, Jack Manett, was in the Home Guard and would be interested in any photos I received.

So my letter has certainly created an interest for your Nostalgia page.

October 23, 2001 11:45