The Taunton Stop Line was built in 1940, when the UK government believed an invasion of Britain by Nazi Germany was imminent. The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk at the end of June 1940, increased the sense of urgency. The Taunton Stop Line was part of a network of defensive lines built across various parts of Britain. The purpose of a stop line was to slow down, a German advance, if they had invaded Britain.
General Edmund Ironside was appointed as Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces at the end of May 1940. On 25th June he announced plans for Home Defence to the War Cabinet. He proposed:
- The construction of coastal defences to fight off small raids and delay any landings.
- Road blocks at strategic locations to be manned by the Home Guard
- The construction of static fortified stop lines, which divided coastal areas into sectors and sealed off London and the Midlands from the coast
- A central reserve of troops, who would be ready to deal with any major breakthroughs
- Local mobile groups, which could deal with parachute landings and local attacks.
The Taunton Stop Line ran for approximately 50 miles from the Bristol Channel/mouth of the River Brue at Highbridge to the English Channel at Axmouth Harbour in Devon. Its route was via Pawlett Hams, Dunball, Bridgwater, North Newton, Creech St Michael, Wrantage, Ilton, Ilminster, Donyatt, Knowle St Giles, Chard, Forton, Perry Street, Chard Junction and Axminster.
Where possible the Taunton Stop Line utilised natural barriers. It followed the River Parrett to Bridgwater, then the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal to Creech St Michael and then the line of the disused Chard Canal to Ilton. It then followed the Great Western Railway to Chard Junction and then the River Axe and/or the Southern Railway to Axmouth Harbour.
Highbridge was also the start of the General Headquarters (GHQ) Green line, which ran east to Bradford-on-Avon and then north to Framilode on the River Severn south of Gloucester.
The construction of the Taunton Stop Line began in July 1940 and was largely completed by September of the same year. About 400 defensive structures, including pillboxes, road and rail blocks, anti-tank gun emplacements and anti-tank obstacles were constructed at strategic points along the stop line to strengthen it. The anti-tank obstacles were usually made of concrete and came in various shapes and sizes, including dragons' teeth (flat-topped pyramids), posts, cubes and coffins.
Gun emplacements were built at strategic locations, landmines were laid, trenches were dug and barbed wire entanglements were put in place. Many of the bridges along the route had charge chambers cut into their walls, so that they could be blown up in the event of an invasion. The pillboxes were disguised and/or camouflaged using paint and netting or locally available materials such as soil, beach pebbles and hedgerows.
In 1941 twelve defensive "islands" were created to strengthen the stop line at Bridgwater, Durston (to cover the railway junction at Cogload), Creech St Michael, Wrantage/Crimson Hill, Ilton (RAF Isle Abbotts/Merryfield). Ilminster, Chard, Forton, Perry Street, Whitford, Axminster and Colyford. These anti-tank islands were intended to be used as bases from which to launch counter attacks, if the stop line was breached.
The Taunton Stop Line was initially manned by the army, assisted by the Home Guard, but as the threat of an invasion receded, the Home Guard took over responsibility for it.
The majority of the structures built for the Taunton Stop Line are still intact and in situ today.
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