Here is a picture of the Home Guard unit from WW2, that my grandfather AS Nash was in command of.
He is in front row, 4th from the LH side, seated immediately in front of the able seaman. Arthur Swan NASH.

    He told my mother at one time, early in the war (she would have been about 17); that "he was the only one with a rifle and ammunition"!! She went in to the army in 1942 and wrote on the back 'Dads Army 1972 etc' !
   
He was with the heavy artillery in WW1, over in France. He was gassed apparently but survived of course!

   He was a swimmer and part of the Grays Athletic Club I understand.
   He used to sail the old Thames barges. That would have been about 1905-1914 I guess.
After the war, he at some stage started work as a stevedore in the Tilbury Docks and eventually moved into managing various gangs of men, unloading & loading a ships cargo. 
Now all sorts of stories pop out there!!   He knew everyone who needed to be known, I am told.
I have nothing but great memories of him. 
David Newman (grandson).