Somerset’s contribution to the Second World War was extremely
varied, and in this film you will see a wide range of locations
which illustrate this diversity.

You will see coastal defences at places like Brean Down and
Steep Holm; pillboxes built throughout the county to bog down
the Germans if they had invaded; how the town of Glastonbury
prepared for occupation by enemy troops; Burnham-on-Sea’s
connection with the Mulberry Harbours; Barrage Balloon trials
on the Pawlett Hams; how explosives were produced at the
Royal Ordnance Factory; how the first jet aircraft entered service
with the RAF at Culmhead; and why the Taunton area was
crucial to the defence of the West Country.

You will also see how naval fighter pilots were trained at
Yeovilton, while anti-aircraft gunners learnt their skills at Doniford
and tank crews near Minehead. There are features on Downside
Abbey School, the scene of one of the most tragic incidents of
the entire war; Double Hills, where the first casualties of Arnhem
perished; the military prison at Shepton Mallet, where the
Americans executed some of their own soldiers; and Pilton, to
recognise the vital role of the Women’s Land Army. There are
also tributes to the important contribution played by the town of
Yeovil to wartime aviation; and the airfields at Weston Zoyland
and Merryfield, from where the American airborne forces
took part in the invasion of Normandy. It is also revealed that
Weston-super-Mare and Bath experienced the worst of the
bombing on the county.

Written and presented by Somerset-based historian and author
Henry Buckton, this documentary is packed with eye-witness
accounts, remarkable archive material and spectacular modern
film.