Carew will be alive with talk of Ansons, the Home Guard and rationing next weekend when the community launches its DVD, Carew Wartime Memories 1939 - 1945.

It tells the story of Carew parish during the Second World War when the population doubled in size with the development of RAF Carew Cheriton airfield, which played an essential role in protection of the Western approaches.

The DVD project is run by members of Carew Community Association and Carew Cheriton Control Tower Group. It follows the successful launch of the Changing Times in Carew CD which captured a century of memories.

Choosing to illustrate the memories with pictures and film footage this time, the volunteers have worked together for the past two years to obtain a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and plot each stage of the project.

More than 30 local people have been filmed for the DVD which features vivid memories of air crashes, bombings and rationing mingled with recollections of everyday life - the farmer delivering milk to the airfield, the Home Guard using potatoes for hand grenade drill and the ingenuity of make do and mend.

Locals recall the fear and hardships of war, but also community spirit and lifelong friendships forged with evacuees, Land Army girls, Dutch airmen, American GIs and prisoners of war. Villagers were caught up in the romance of war - the heightened atmosphere at dances and other events which led to romance and marriage.

On Friday, May 7 - the eve of VE day - the hour long film will be launched at the Control Tower on the former RAF Carew Cheriton airfield at 7 pm, gates open 6.30 pm.

The airfield had a huge influence on the lives of local people during the Second World War. At one time it was home to 1,300 personnel, a community in its own right.

Over the past 10 years, the Control Tower has been painstakingly restored by a dedicated group of volunteers who have transformed the building from a ramshackle cattle shelter to a highly popular museum, authentic in every detail.

Many people have donated materials to the site, pleased to find a secure resting place for items that have great sentimental value, ranging from uniforms and Bakelite telephones to an air raid siren, maps and pieces of shrapnel.

The young men who gave their lives for the war effort are remembered every year on November 11 in services led by the Cresselly and District Royal British Legion.

Pupils from Sageston Community School are also involved. They hear stories of how members of their own families fought at the front. Some interviewed older friends and family as part of the school curriculum and visited the Control Tower to learn more about local history.

The DVD is a tribute to all who gave their lives in wartime and captures memories from 70 years ago as clearly as if it were yesterday. The DVD will be on sale during the launch on May 7. Contact John Brock on 01646 651356 if you would like to attend the launch or if you want more information.