Letter: Dad's guerrillas

Sir: My father, Alexander Norman, of Laindon in Essex, served for the four years of the First World War. When the Second World War broke out he was too old and unfit for active service, and so joined the Air Raid Precautions as well as keeping a full-time job.

He was always very derisive about our local Home Guard. However, one of my earliest memories is of his allotment, where he grew vegetables, and the rubbish heap that was covered in rusty metal and that we were forbidden to approach. He also had a collection of empty glass bottles in his garden shed.

After the war had ended, my mother was horrified to find two senior police officers on the doorstep demanding to see Father. He went off with them, returning an hour or so later. Mother demanded to know what they wanted, and Father replied: "Oh, they came to collect my box of ammunition."

"What box?"

"The one that's been buried under my allotment."

"Why didn't you tell me you had it?"

"If the invasion had come you could have truthfully said you knew nothing about it."

I don't know that he was connected with any plans for underground resistance ("The stay-at-home heroes", 26 September),but as the air raid wardens' leader owned a local garage, with access to petrol, I think I know what those old bottles were for.

There were obviously many small groups of old soldiers,with field experience who were prepared to "make it hot for Jerry" if he did succeed in getting to our shores.

MARY COLE

St Leonards, East Sussex