My paternal grandfather was in the Home Guard. He'd sit and chuckle away at it – always said it was absolutely spot on.

My dad was in the Home Guard for a year at 17 years of age while he waited to join up "for real".

He always compared himself to Pike and they did genuinely patrol reservoirs at night with broomstick handles.

Another Clive Dunn fact: he was briefly a member of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists before becoming a life-long socialist

My grandfather was so short sighted he wasn't allowed to join up "for real" (thanks for the genetic myopia, granddad).

Thank goodness they never did face an invasion.

My granddad at least had a wooden rifle (or so he said) when he was working for the gas board and 'guarding' vital infrastructure.