Two South Pembrokeshire heritage groups have secured funding to help develop events to celebrate Pembrokeshire’s military history over two centuries.

Pembroke Dock’s Sunderland Trust and Carew Control Tower will share a grant of £101,000 from Cadw’s Heritage Tourism Project, which will provide a vital boost to the county’s Defence of the Realm project.

The cash injection, won thanks to help from PLANED, will enable the Sunderland Trust to build on the success of the Forties events it has held over the last two years and will help the control tower establish a ‘festival of the skies’ extravaganza including the revival of the popular Kite Festival.

John Brock MBE, of Carew Control Tower group, said: “We are delighted that PLANED has been able to draw down funding to support the events to help tell the story of Pembrokeshire’s role during two world wars.”

John Evans, project manager of the Sunderland Trust, said: “The forties were a hugely important period in Pembroke Dock and Pembrokeshire’s history.

We caught the imagination of so many with the Forties Weekends we have already staged and we plan hold similar events including exhibitions, period dances and displays. We have also recreated the Blitz Bazaar which has proved very popular.”

The funding was announced by the Welsh Government’s housing, regeneration and heritage minister Huw Lewis.

He said: “I’m pleased that we have been able to offer this substantial funding to this project. This will allow us to develop facilities to tell Wales’ story and to give visitors and residents a better understanding of our history and culture from different periods.”