The Home Guard, officially known as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) emerged during World War II. Those who were too old serve in the armed forces but wanted to contribute to the war effort were organised in volunteer groups. When the Scottish National Portrait Gallery acquired this portrait, the name of the sitter had been lost, but he was later identified as Walter Rankin, a retired newsagent of the Skelmorlie LDV unit. His good-humoured face and the everyday objects on the table form a poignant contrast to the military uniform and rifle propped against the table.