Editing Taunton Stop Line (section)

==History==
The Taunton Stop Line was one of more than fifty similar defensive lines that were constructed around England in WWII, all designed to compartmentalise the country to contain any breakthrough until reinforcements could arrive. Stop Lines used a combination of geography and construction to make continuous defences. The innermost and longest was the [[GHQ Line]]. They were constructed as part of a package of [[British anti-invasion preparations of World War II#Field fortifications|field fortifications]] planned under the leadership of [[Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside|General Sir Edmund Ironside]], the newly appointed [[Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces]].

The Taunton Stop Line ran north–south for nearly {{convert|50|mi|km}} through [[Somerset]], [[Dorset]] and [[Devon]], from [[Seaton, Devon|Seaton]] to [[Axminster]] to [[Chard, Somerset|Chard]] along the [[River Axe, Devon|River Axe]], then along the [[Great Western Railway]] to [[Ilminster]], the railway and [[Chard Canal]] to [[Taunton, Somerset|Taunton]], the [[Bridgwater and Taunton Canal]] to [[Bridgwater]], and the [[River Parrett]] to the coast near [[Highbridge, Somerset|Highbridge]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Somerset Pillboxes|url=http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=britishhistory;id=169;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epillboxes-somerset%2Ecom%2F|publisher=Somerset Pillboxes|accessdate=19 January 2013}}</ref> Highbridge was also the starting point for the east–west [[GHQ Line]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Second World War stop line (General Headquarters Line)|url=http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/15450|work=Somerset Historic Environment Record|publisher=Somerset County Council|accessdate=19 January 2013}}</ref>

Aside from the obstacles created by canals, rivers and railway embankments, by early 1942 the line was defended by 309 [[light machine gun]] [[Pillbox (military)|pillbox]]es (typically for the [[Bren]] gun), 61 medium machine gun emplacements (typically for the [[Vickers machine gun]]), 21 static anti-tank gun emplacements (equipped with ex-[[World War I]] naval [[Shell (projectile)#Old-style British classification by weight|six-pound guns]]), along with numerous [[anti-tank obstacles]] in the form of concrete posts, cubes and pyramids, while charge chambers were cut into bridges ready for demolition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Second World War stop line, The Taunton Stop Line|url=http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/15410|work=Somerset Historic Environment Record|publisher=Somerset County Council|accessdate=19 January 2013}}</ref> Other armaments used included [[Boys Anti-tank Rifle]] and mobile [[Ordnance QF 2 pounder|QF 2 pounder]] guns.

To reinforce the line and deny access to the major east–west routes that passed through the line, in 1941 twelve "Defensive Islands" were added to the line under a plan devised by [[Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke|General Brooke]], who succeeded General [[Sir Edmund Ironside]].  These included [[Bridgwater]] and [[Creech St Michael]].

Two [[Division (military)|divisions]] from [[GHQ Home Forces Reserve]] were originally assigned to man the line, although from the autumn of 1940 the [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] were increasingly used.

Many pillboxes can still be seen along the length of the line.