Historic photo of Barrowford Home Guard is discovered

Arthur Bickerstaffe submitted the photo after Alwyne Plunkett stumbled across the postcard. Mr Bickerstaffe only recognises former Arthur Sanderson lorry driver Stanley Beresford (standing, lower right) and recalled an anecdote he once told him.

He said: “Stanley Beresford told me that wives used to get fed up with men going to Home Guard meetings and then retiring to the pub instead of coming home.

“One meeting was a demonstration of self defence by a Royal Marine Commando. One defence technique was to protect your head from an assailant. You simply held you arm upright above you head and the club slid down you arm and missed your head.

“When Stanley eventually arrived home to a somewhat angry wife, he told he about the demonstration.

“I told her to pick up the poker and hit me over the head. Before I could get me arm up, she walloped me!”