Leonard "Len" Barr

Len Barr does not appear on any nominal roll, but was a wartime associate of John Girling and Herbert Clifford taking part in  weapons training with them. Herbert Clifford lived directly over the road from him. The men would often disappear together to "look at John's gun collection". He kept a number of items suggesting membership of the Home guard and possibly Auxiliary Units. These include a "National Defence Notebook" marked with his name and LDV (Local Defence volunteers - later the Home Guard), a Home Guard manual on patrolling, several empty ammunition boxes and a trench club. These are all items an Auxilier might have been issued. If a member he would have left prior to the nominal roll being drawn up in 1942.

In 1939 he was a Special Constable, having been one since the 1926 General Strike. He gave up early in the war, and also gave up being an Auxiliary Coastguard, suggesting he was busy doing other things.

He owned L Barr and Co which was the radio and electrical shop on the High Street in Clacton. His works van was converted into a makeshift fire engine and was photographed with members of Clacton Area A12 Civil Defence. His house was the Warden's Post. He served as a member of the ARP, though his son was told after his death that this was a possibly a cover. He is reported to have gone out wearing his ARP uniform with his Home Guard uniform underneath, which was very unusual. He said it was because he was cold. He had a pistol though this was privately purchased before the war and handed in during an amnesty in the 1960s. He is also reported to have carried a .303 SMLE rifle which was unusual as the regular Home Guard normally had P14 or P17 rifles. He was aware of several flame fougasse locations in the area as well.

The family were evacuated to Bures in 1941, staying in a house rented by a Police friend. Len commuted back to work daily, which was unusual at this time. By chance (perhaps?) Bures also had an Auxiliary Unit. Six months after moving the house was bombed. So they moved back to Clacton as their house there was never bombed throughout the war.

His brother in law William George Wells was also mentioned as visiting the known Patrol members along with Len. Possibly he was also a member in the early part of the war, but is also absent from the nominal role.