Surrey Home Guard - England, 1940
(Source: Puttnam, 1940c)
The Home Guard were organised as Britains Home Front Defence force. Originally called the 'Local Defence Volunteers', they started off as being armed with no more than pitch-forks and personally-owned shotguns and rifles. However, after the Regular Army had been re-equipped due to leaving large amounts being at Dunkirk, the Home Guard began to receive more 'sophisticated' weaponry, including the Vickers MG.
To start with, they were armed with the US-made Colt-Vickers M1915 in .30 M1906 but as more 303-inch Mk. I guns became available, they also received these.
For more information on the Home Guard, you may wish to use the following books: