On Friday 10 May 1940, the Germans had started their attack on Belgium and the Netherlands, using soldiers dropped by parachutes. British troops in mainland Europe were pushed back to the Channel ports and many people feared that the Germans would soon invade. To protect Britain, a new part-time force was to be set up, the Local Defence Volunteers. The Government made an urgent appeal on the radio to all men aged between 17 and 65 to become part-time soldiers. Within 24 hours of the radio broadcast a quarter of a million men had volunteered. Many men who joined the Home Guard when they could not join the regular army because their day-time jobs were necessary to keep the country running.