A MAN from Plymouth, who grew up in Tresmeer, received a surprise when he spotted his father in a photograph of the Tresmeer Home Guard featured in a recent edition of the Post, as he had no prior knowledge of his father’s involvement with the defence organisation.

David Buckley contacted the Post after seeing his father, Charles (Charlie) Buckley, in a photograph included in the article regarding Launceston man Frank Bate.

Mr Bate recently received The Defence Medal for his services during the Second World War in the Home Guard and David was surprised to notice stood alongside Mr Bate — who he remembers from his childhood — was his father.

David’s father, who passed away in 2008, was born in Laneast in 1925.

Before his time in the Home Guard Mr Buckley left school at the age of 14 and went to work for the vicar of Laneast.

Later he worked at Davidstow aerodrome as an assistant to the electrician who was installing the lights, it is presumed for the runways and in the buildings.

It is believed he then became a member of the Home Guard at the age of 16/17 for just one year as he was conscripted into the Navy in September 1943 — however it is unknown why Mr Buckley was a member of the Tresmeer Home Guard and not his home village’s branch.

David said: “Regarding the photo of the members of Tresmeer Home Guard my father Charles (Charlie) Buckley is one of the members. It does seem a bit strange that he was a member of the Tresmeer group as he was living in Laneast at the time, and both his father George Buckley and brother Ernest Buckley were in the Laneast group.

“He never mentioned that he was in the Home Guard so the photograph came as a complete surprise.”

David said he recognised some of the other members of the Tresmeer Home Guard from his time growing up in the village.

He said: “I do recognise some of the other people in the photo including L Cory, W Kinsman, Frank Bate, J Gimblett, F Gimblett, T Uglow, P Wickett, E Shillaber and D Parsons as I was born and raised in Tresmeer during the 1950s and 60s.”

He added: “I do know Frank Bate and his family from my time growing up in Tresmeer and went to school there with his son Stephen and one of his nieces. Congratulations to Frank Bate on finally receiving his medal.”

Although David’s father was not eligible to receive The Defence Medal for his time in the Home Guard, he did receive a number of other accolades for his naval service.

David said: “My father was only in the Home Guard for one year so he would not have qualified to receive [The Defence Medal] but of course he did receive medals for his navy service including a Burma Star.”

David knew very little about his father’s time in the Home Guard but said he had discovered some information about his time in the Navy.

“During his time in the Navy he served as a stoker on ships for the Atlantic convoys and later on landing craft in the far east including places such as Bombay, Singapore, Bankok and Hong Kong.”

After his father had gone through basic training at Great Malvern and then at HMS Drake in Plymouth he joined his first ship, HMS Caistor Castle, at Gairlochhead, near Glasgow.

The ship, a Corvette, was new and was deployed as a convoy escort in the Atlantic. After four months he returned and joined a ‘Landing Ship Tank’ (LST), a type of landing craft that could carry tanks and lorries as well as men.

This was then sailed to HMS Braganza in Bombay, India. From there the ship would have transported the tanks and men to wherever they were required in South East Asia.

David said: “He did mention going to Bangkok, Singapore and Rangoon. After the war was over he returned with it to Plymouth where he then transferred to another LST, which presumably transported equipment to and from Europe.”

Mr Buckley was discharged from the Navy in January 1947 at Rosneath before he returned to his hometown, Laneast.

David added: “Unfortunately my father died in 2008 so all I have is memories and photos of him now.”

l Do any of our readers know why Mr Charles Buckley would have been a member of the Tresmeer Home Guard as opposed to his local branch in Laneast?