THESE smartly-dressed members of the Home Guard protected one Oxfordshire village during the Second World War.

We’re not sure which village, but it was probably Culham or Clifton Hampden, near Abingdon.

The picture belonged to Jack Smith, who is at the back on the extreme right. It was found in his possessions and sent to Memory Lane by his son Michael, who lives at Blackbird Leys.

He has identified two other members of the unit: Bert Sellwood, the middle of the three men at the back on the left, and Joe Jefferies, third from the right in the front row.

He believes the picture may have been taken at Culham College, the teacher training college set up by the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, in 1852, and now the site of the European School. The other possible venue is Clifton Hampden manor house.

It is possible that the Home Guard unit in this area would have had a greater role to play than most, as both villages were close to a Royal Naval Air Station, on the site where Culham Science Centre is now based.

Jack Smith and Bert Sellwood both worked at Zouch Farm, Culham, while Joe Jefferies worked at James’s Farm in the village.

Michael Smith is keen to find out where the picture was taken, which village the unit served and the names of any other members.

The Home Guard began life as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), a part-time force designed to help protect Britain from possible German invasion.

Within two months of a radio appeal by the Government in May 1940, more than a million volunteers had come forward.

They included farm workers, bakers, teachers, grocers, bank staff and railway workers, whose daytime jobs were essential to keep the country running, and those too young or too old to join the regular Army.

The name was changed to the Home Guard in July 1940 and its members went on to do valuable work defending their local communities.

No-one expected them to beat well-trained German soldiers – their task was to slow them down until the Army arrived.

The Home Guard was immortalised by Dad’s Army, the TV show about a platoon at the fictitious Walmington-on-Sea, starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn, episodes of which are still regularly shown on BBC2.

Can anyone tell us which village the unit above served, where the picture was taken and name any of the other members?