This article explores the problems encountered in the formation of the Ulster Home Guard, supposedly a direct equivalent to its well-known British counterpart, as part of the paramilitary Ulster Special Constabulary in Northern Ireland, during the Second World War. Predictably, the Ulster Home Guard became an almost exclusively Protestant organisation which led to many accusations of sectarianism from a variety of different national and international voices. This became a real concern for the British government, as well as the army, which understandably wished to avoid any such controversy. Though assumptions had previously been made about the numbers of Catholics in the force, this article explores just how few joined the organisation throughout the war. Additionally, the article investigates the rather awkward constitutional position in which the Ulster Home Guard was placed. Under the Government of Ireland Act, the Stormont administration had no authority on matters of home defence. It did, however, have the power to raise a police force as a way to maintain law and order. Still, the Ulster Home Guard, although formed as part of the Ulster Special Constabulary, was entrusted solely with home defence and this had wider implications for British policy towards Northern Ireland throughout the Second World War.

中文翻译：

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阿尔斯特家庭卫队的组建

本文探讨了在第二次世界大战期间，作为北爱尔兰准军事阿尔斯特特别警察的一部分，阿尔斯特国民警卫队的组建过程中遇到的问题，该警卫队被认为直接相当于其著名的英国同行。可以预见的是，阿尔斯特国民卫队几乎完全变成了一个新教组织，这导致了来自各种不同国家和国际声音的许多宗派主义指控。这成为英国政府和军队真正关心的问题，他们希望避免任何此类争议是可以理解的。尽管之前已经对部队中的天主教徒人数做出了假设，但本文探讨了在整个战争期间加入该组织的人数。此外，这篇文章调查了阿尔斯特国民警卫队所处的相当尴尬的宪法地位。根据爱尔兰政府法案，斯托蒙特政府无权处理家庭自卫事务。然而，它确实有权组建一支警察部队以维持法律和秩序。尽管如此，阿尔斯特本土卫队虽然是作为阿尔斯特特种警察的一部分组成的，但仅受托负责本土防御，这对整个二战期间英国对北爱尔兰的政策产生了更广泛的影响。