THESE wonderful pictures were sent to us by Dorchester researcher John Pidgeon, who is hoping readers will help him unearth more details of the Dorset Home Guard.

He has been collating details and photographs on the county’s Home Guard and Auxiliary units for eight years and will be grateful for any information or photograph sent his way.

The first picture was borrowed from Marion Cheeseman of Weymouth whose late husband Jack Crowe is second from left in the back row.

This is the Wyke Home Guard, one of four platoons of the Chickerell Company of Weymouth led by Major Harry Cuthbert Collingwood (5th from left front row).

Collingwood served in the First World War and ran the Wyke House Hotel. In the 1939 Register he is listed as a retired Army Officer but the only First World War document John could find lists him as a Lance Corporal in the Army Service Corp.

Perhaps an expedient measure for someone running a hotel.

The platoon officer is initially Charles Edwin Domoney who retired on reaching age limit. This picture is taken 1944 and the platoon officer fourth from left in the front row is listed on the rear as Lt Selby, but there is no officer of this name listed in the records.

Can anyone help with these mysteries? Is youe relative in the platoon?

The second picture was taken at the South Dorset Sector Home Guard HQ (Now the TA Centre in Poundbury Road Dorchester).

The South Dorset Sector was formed on May 1 1943 under General Sir Henry Cholmondeley Jackson and commands the Bridport, Dorchester, Weymouth and Wareham Home Guard Battalions.

The original image is owned by Neil Matthews whose grandfather Charles Edwin Matthews is signals officer of 2nd Dorset Home Guard Battalion (Dorchester).

Does anyone recognise a family member? What is the subject of the photograph? One of the Dorchester platoons or Signals Sections from all four Battalions of South Dorset?

If you do know, get in touch with John Pidgeon by emailing jcpidgeon@btinternet.com