Last night marked our first training evening of 2026 for the Redline Home Guard, and it was good to be back together after the Christmas break.
After a quick cup of much-needed warming tea, we headed straight outside to begin the evening in familiar fashion with our traditional flag break. This was followed by around twenty minutes of rifle and marching drill in the open air. The session served two purposes: refreshing everyone after a few weeks away, and beginning the process of training additional members to lead the drill. On this occasion, Pte Gleave (Snr) took charge, giving others the opportunity to observe, learn, and build confidence in drill leadership.
We then returned to the warmth of the platoon HQ where, under the instruction of Sgt Quigley, we continued our ongoing training with the Bren gun. This session focused on the practical elements of operation: loading, firing, unloading, and dealing with stoppages. Drills were practised first as an individual gunner and then as a two-man team, reinforcing both competence and teamwork. We are particularly fortunate as a group to have access to a relatively large number of deactivated Bren guns, allowing everyone plenty of hands-on time during training.
The evening concluded with a demonstration on the Bren tripod, led by 2/Lt Chambers. This was followed by practical work setting up the tripod in both the lower ground role and the higher anti-aircraft configuration, including instruction on using an SMLE rifle as the third leg when required.
We were also joined for the evening by Volunteer Hutt, who came along to try out the group. Although understandably daunted at first, he quickly got hands-on with the Bren gun and soon found his feet. It was great to see him fully joining in, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the platoon as he continues his journey towards becoming a Private in the Home Guard.
Our next training session will focus on pistols and will be led by 2/Lt Chambers. If, like Volunteer Hutt, you are interested in finding out more about the Home Guard and joining in, please get in touch with us for details.
No responses yet