Home Guard Ghillie suits

Hi gents i have a vague memory that the Home guard/Auxlilers used Ghillie suits if so what where they like and how close where they to the modern day ones? might make/buy one and scare the public half to death

After reading up on the subject ive seen that sam raised this very question on the big forum, any tpis for making one? im going to go for the more modern stlye and attach a load of hessian strips to something like a boiler suit to make it.

thoughts?

James

Ooooooh Kay.
There is a book called Camouflage for the Home Guard which you need. It was printed in about 1942 and it details exactly how a home guardsman could make a ghillie suit.
I might have got a copy scanned, I will look at the same time as I look for Northover stuff and let you know.
Basically it starts with a large hessian sheet and is folded into a large diamond shape, in the centre goes a hole and is worn over the head like a poncho, not like a modern ghillie suit. Battle Dress only came in 1937, you couldn't rush the British Army into anything so radical back in those days! Hehehe.
Attached to the poncho is the hessian scrim and other materials, including loops for branches and small foliage.
This pathe news clip is famous but you might not have seen it
www britishpathe.com/record.php?id=12204
I love these old films for the little bits of info you can pick up!
Regards and best wishes
Matt

Having spent a while on the laptop working out how to work this modern technology I hope that I have worked out a way of taking individual snapshots from a pdf page and making them a picture file.

If it works you should have the info on making a HG sniper suit.
The writing on the diagram page is a little small - the hessian sheet required is stated as 6 feet by 5 feet. Studying the diagrams carefully should help.
I do hope this is of some use, always happy to help when I can. Generally I learn something at the same time as well

Well - I found out that although the forum allows me to upload photos it doesnt allow me to post the links yet so you'll just have to wait

it should let you put photos up btw ive found this one


Im going to make a more modern one mainly for my amusement and a historically accurate one, one thing i need and just cant find is votton 1 inch square netting anyone got any ideas?

I made mine pal il bring it to an event and you can have a look mate. Mines got a modern style hood but a hessian body. Il post up some pics for you mate when I can find them. There's my thread all about it on the big forum.

Great Stuff
That pic is from the book I was talking about and is the one that I added to my website yesterday as well
I thought it was about time to add something on more specially trained Home Guards!
I also put up some photos of camouflage wearing Home Guards too.
regards
Matt

Looks good Sam how well does it blend in ? and did you also make a rifle wrap?

and does anyone know what rifle the HG would use for sniping? im guessing P14 or SMLE would they have had a military scope or would they have fitted a commercial one?

Admin wrote:Looks good Sam how well does it blend in ? and did you also make a rifle wrap?

and does anyone know what rifle the HG would use for sniping? im guessing P14 or SMLE would they have had a military scope or would they have fitted a commercial one?

Both mate. Good camo mate and yeh I have a rifle wrap which is just hessian wraped round the rifle.

Just found some incredible new footage of camouflage in action