Can you help Tony Honeyman?

Tony is researching these Second World War defences and would like to hear from anyone who has information, old photos or recollections of these defences and the Home Guard who manned them.

“After the German invasion of France in May 1940 and the retreat from Dunkirk the British Isles were suddenly faced with an imminent invasion of the whole of the UK.

“One of the responses was to start building defences along the coast and inland to stop and delay the German invasion. This got into full effort in July 1940 and continued into 1941.

“The coastline of Ceredigion was seen as a low priority for the coastal defences so few were built on the beaches and harbours of Ceredigion. However a number of ‘stop lines’ were created inland in Wales to stop any invading force from advancing at speed as the Germans had done in Belgium and France.

"Three lines were constructed in Ceredigion and nearby, and the remains of the lines can be found today.

“The three lines were one running south from Llangrannog, via Rhydlewis and Cynwyl Elfed to the coast south of Carmarthen; a second running from Ammanford to Llandovery and a third which ran along the River Teifi from Cardigan to Llandysul.

"In Cardiganshire these positions were to be defended by the Cardiganshire Home Guard of whom there were three Battalions, based in Aberystwyth, Cardigan and later Lampeter.

“Some aspects are not well documented and many of the pillboxes have been bulldozed after the war so any input, however small, would be welcomed.”

If you can help Tony, please call him on 07785 530868 or email [email protected]

For more pictures and the full story, see this week’s south papers, available in shops and as a digital edition tomorrow