Memorial details

Memorial type
Composite
District
Lichfield
Town
Alrewas
County
Staffordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
76462

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Current location

Memorial is in Green Zone
off Millennium Avenue on the approach to the Armed Services Memorial
National Memorial Arboretum
Croxall Road
Alrewas
Lichfield
Staffordshire
DE13 7AR
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 18321 14476
Denomination: Undefined

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Description
Within a small garden/grove planted with dedicatory trees, the principal element of the memorial is a brick plinth on which a metal slab is fixed. On the centre of the slab is a bronze/bronze-coloured badge of the HSF (comprising the initials above a knife), flanked by two rectangular green metal plaques with commemorations inscribed in white lettering in relief. A commemorative wooden bench with metal plaques is situated within the grove. Individual circular dedicatory plaques are placed by trees.
Inscription
[Plaque 1]: HOME SERVICE FORCE 1985-1992/ THE HOME SERVICE FORCE WAS FORMED ON THE 1ST APRIL 1985, AS PART OF THE TERRITORIAL ARMY,/ ALTHOUGH IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SOME UNITS WERE FORMED ON A TRIAL BASIS EARLIER THAN THIS. THE/ HSF WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF GUARDING KEY INSTALLATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SUCH AS MAJOR/ POWER STATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS CENTRES ETC., THE LOSS OF WHICH, THROUGH SUBVERSIVE ENEMY/ ACTION, COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED THE RUNNING OF THE COUNTRY./ FORTY-EIGHT UNITS WERE FORMED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN LOCATIONS NEAR TO WHERE THEY WOULD BE/ TASKED. EACH UNIT WAS ATTACHED TO AN EXISTING REGULAR ARMY, OR TERRITORIAL ARMY, REGIMENT OR/ BATTALION FOR ADMINISTRATION AND TRAINING. THE HSF UNIT WAS GIVEN THEIR PARENT UNIT'S TITLE AND/ WAS CLASSIFIED AS SQUADRON, BATTERY OR COMPANY AS APPROPRIATE. THE ROLE OF EACH HSF UNIT/ CENTRED ON BASIC INFANTRY SKILLS./ THE ORGANISATION OF EACH HSF UNIT WAS BASED ON THE BASIC INFANTRY COMPANY AND CONSISTED OF/ 3X INFANTRY PLATOONS AND A SMALL COMPANY HEADQUARTER ELEMENT./ MEMBERSHIP OF THE HSF WAS RESTRICTED TO THOSE WHO HAD PREVIOUS SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES,/ OR IN THE TERRITORIAL ARMY. THIS RESULTED IN A MEMBERSHIP THAT INCLUDED EX ROYAL NAVY, ARMY/ AND ROYAL AIR FORCE PERSONNEL, WITH A VARIETY OF RANKS AND JOB QUALIFICATIONS. UNUSUAL IT MAY/ HAVE BEEN BUT IT WOKRED EXTREMELY WELL./ HOWEVER, BY MARCH 1992 THE THREAT THAT HAD NECESSITATED THE FORMING OF THE HSF WAS CONSIDERED/ TO HAVE DIMINISHED SUFFICIENTLY TO ENABLE IT TO BE DISBANDED./ AFTER THE DISBANDMENT OF THE HSF, SOME OF THE UNITS FORMED THEIR OWN UNIT ASSOCIATIONS TO/ MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH FORMER MEMBERS. UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ALL UNITS WERE ABLE TO DO THIS AND/ CONTACT WITH MANY EX-SERVING MEMBERS WAS LOST./ IN 1997 IT WAS DECIDED TO FORM A NATIONAL HOME SERVICE FORCE ASSOCIATION TO ACT AS A PARENT/ BODY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL UNIT ASSOCIATIONS. / THE EXISTENCE OF THIS 'HSF GROVE' TODAY IS DUE MAINLY TO THOSE EX HSF INDIVIDUALS, AND UNIT/ ASSOCIATIONS, THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ITS CREATION, ALSO TO OUR SPONSORS WHO HAVE GENEROUSLY/ GIVEN US THEIR HELP, AND TO THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM STAFF, WHO HAVE MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE./ MARCH 2003/ UNITS OF THE HOME SERVICE FORCE 1985-1992/ SCOTLAND/ Z (HSF) COY, 1ST BN. THE 51ST HIGHLAND VOLUNTEERS PERTH/ Y (HSF) COY, 2ND BN. THE 51ST HIGHLAND VOLUNTEERS ELGIN/ X (HSF) COY, 2ND BN. THE 51ST HIGHLAND VOLUNTEERS ABERDEEN/ W (HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE 51ST HIGHLAND VOLUNTEERS STIRLING/ F (HSF) COY, 1ST BN. THE 52ND LOWLAND VOLUNTEERS AYR/ G (HSF) COY, 1ST BN. THE 52ND LOWLAND VOLUNTEERS DUMFRIES/ 5 (HSF) COY, 2ND BN. THE 52ND LOWLAND VOLUNTEERS EDINBURGH/ NORTH EAST DISTRICT/ S (HSF) COY, 6TH BN. THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF FUSILIERS NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE/ E (HSF) COY, 7TH BN. THE LIGHT INFANTRY BISHOP AUCKLAND/ H (HSF) COY, 2ND BN.THE YORKSHIRE VOLUNTEERS YORK/ [Plaque 2]: UNITS OF THE HOME SERVICE CONTINUED: -/ H (HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE YORKSHIRE VOLUNTEERS HUDDERSFIELD/ H (HSF) COY, 4TH BN. THE YORKSHIRE VOLUNTEERS SHEFFIELD/ 347 (HSF) SIGNALS SQN. THE 11TH SIGNAL REGIMENT CATTERICK/ 300/301 (HSF) SQN. THE ROYAL CORPS OF TRANSPORT EAST YORKSHIRE/ EASTERN DISTRICT/ F (HSF) COY, 6TH BN. THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT NORFOLK/ 5 (HSF) COY, 5TH BN. THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT CAMBRIDGESHIRE/ 6 (HSF) COY, 5TH BN. THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT ESSEX/ E (HSF) COY, 6TH BN. THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT BEDFORDSHIRE/ E (HSF) COY, 7TH BN. THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT LEICESTERSHIRE/ F (HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE WORCESTERSHIRE AND SHERWOOD FORESTERS REGIMENT NOTTINGHAMSHIRE/ G HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE WORCESTERSHIRE AND SHERWOOD FORESTERS REGIMENT DERBYSHIRE/ SOUTH EASTERN DISTRICT/ E (HSF) COY, 2ND BN. THE WESSEX REGIMENT WOKING, SURREY/ E (HSF) COY, 5TH BN. THE QUEEN'S REGIMENT CANTERBURY, KENT/ E (HSF) COY, 6TH/7TH BN. THE QUEEN'S REGIMENT HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX/ I (HSF) COY, 5TH BN. THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS ALDERSHOT, SURREY/ LONDON DISTRICT/ A (HSF) COY, THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY, LONDON EC1/ B (HSF) COY, THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY, LONDON EC1/ 5 (HSF) COY, 10TH BN. THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT CHELSEA, LONDON SW3/ 348 (HSF) SQN. THE INNS OF COURT AND CITY YEOMANRY ELTHAM, LONDON SE9/ H (HSF) COY, 4TH BN. THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS LONDON, W1/ SOUTH WEST DISTRICT/ E (HSF) COY, 6TH (SOMERSET & CORNWALL) BN. THE LIGHT INFANTRY SOMERSET F (HSF) COY, 6TH (SOMERSET & CORNWALL) BN. THE LIGHT INFANTRY TRURO E (WILTSHIRE YEOMANRY) (HSF) SQN. THE ROYAL WESSEX YEOMANRY OLD SARUM/ 302 (HSF) SQN. THE ROYAL CORPS OF TRANSPORT GLOUCESTERSHIRE/ G (HSF) COY. 4TH BN. THE DEVON AND DORSET REGIMENT EXETER/ WALES/ E (HSF) COY. 3RD BN THE ROYAL WELCH FUSILIERS WREXHAM, CLWYD/ E (HSF) COY. 3RD BN THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF WALES CARDIFF, S GLAMORGAN/ E (HSF) COY. 4TH BN THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF WALES SWANSEA, W GLAMORGAN/ WESTERN DISTRICT F (HSF) COY, 4TH BN. THE WORCESTERSHIRE AND SHERWOOD FORESTERS WORCESTER/ G (HSF) COY, 5TH BN. THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF FUSILIERS COVENTRY/ E (HSF) COY, 2ND BN. THE MERCIAN VOLUNTEERS (UNTIL 1988)/ THEN: E (HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT WEST MIDLANDS/ 18 (HSF) PL. 5TH BN. THE LIGHT INFANTRY HEREFORD/ D (HSF) COY, 15TH BN. THE ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS (UNTIL 1988) THEN: D (HSF) SQN. THE QUEEN'S OWN MERCIAN YEOMANRY TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE/ NORTH WEST DISTRICT/ C (HSF) SQN. THE DUKE OF LANCASTER'S OWN YEOMANRY CHORLEY/ A (HSF) BTY, 103RD LIGHT AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY LIVERPOOL/ E (HSF) COY, 4TH BN. THE KING'S OWN BORDER REGIMENT LANCASTER/ E (HSF) COY, 5TH/8TH BN. THE KING'S REGIMENT CHESHIRE/ E (HSF) COY, 3RD BN. THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT CHESHIRE/ [Bench plaque]: THE HOME SERVICE FORCE/1985-1992
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Civilian (19th; 20th and 21st Centuries)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Plaques
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
  • Plinth
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Brick
  • Seat
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood
Listing information
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public

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