Helmet; Southern Railway shrapnel helmet, Home Guard, 1939 - 1945

In Britain the Home Guard was formed to recruit civilians to help defend the country from enemy attack during the Second World War. This shrapnel helmet was worn by members of the Southern Railway (S.R.) Home Guard when they were on duty. The hand-painted 'S.R. LON 36 HG' on the front stands for the '36th London'. This was one of the six battalions that existed in the S.R. Home Guard. S.R. operated out of London and, before the railway was nationalised, covered the southeast, southwest and south coast regions. The railwaymen who volunteered to carry out war duties in the S.R. Home Guard helped to defend the railway, which was a prime target for attack.