Lady Helena Gleichen, a grand-niece of Queen Victoria, whose family home was a sprawling estate at Much Marcle in Hertfordshire, was not about to sit around and let Nazi storm-troopers march in and take over. Months before the Government officially announced the formation of the LDV ( later renamed as The Home Guard) she organised her 80 strong estate staff into an unofficial observation corps. These `Volunteers' wearing an armband stencilled with their unit title- `Much Marcle Watchers' would go out each night into the countryside in search of invading enemy Parachutists. After a while Lady Helena decided that her band of warriors could do with some weapons with a bit more clout than their normal gamekeepers shotguns. She wrote to the Army directly and requested the supply of 80 rifles with ammunition -"plus a couple of machine guns, if you have any". It goes without saying that her Ladyship's request was politely refused. Having had her request for rifles refused, Lady Helena armed her seventy strong band of volunteers with antique Pikes, Halberds and Flintlock muskets taken from the walls of her Stately Home. A very formidable lady indeed, and one who most certainly would have given Herr Hitler's legions a very unwelcoming greeting if they had ever commenced an invasion.
