Under Your Feet, Beneath Your Boats And In Front Of Your Eyes

Written by Anne Curnow Care.

This evening from 21:00 onwards many beacons will be lit across the country in commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. 

Many rowers will have relations that were in some way involved in Operation Overlord and all the preparations that took place around the coast.

On the 6th June 1944, on the 1st day of the campaign 4,400 troops died from the combined allied forces with some 9000 being wounded or going missing. The greatest combined land, air and naval operation in history.

The coastline that many of us frequently see while rowing holds significant historical importance related to D-Day, which we might not always recognize. This includes areas we might visit for a regatta or merely pass through en route to one.

Only a few of the locations have been listed here, there are many many more.

 

 

 

Cornwall 

Cornwall’s south coast had a major part with its natural harbours, ports and estuaries.

The Fal Estuary, where thousands of Americans arrived in preparation for the landing and set up embarkation points. Access roads and piers were built, five special slipways of concrete were constructed at the area that is now Trago Mills in Falmouth, Tolverne near King Harry Ferry, Turnaware Bar opposite Trelissick House from where Truro hosted their event for a number of years and at Trebah Gardens on the Helford River.

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was based at Helford.

The Free French operated from Mylor.

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) had its local HQ in Falmouth.

Fowey was one of the main ports in Cornwall for loading ammunition for the US29th Division which landed on Omaha Beach.

There are many more stories from around the Cornish coast to be told.

 

 

Devon became a hub of training camps.

Almost all of the area between Westward Ho! and Woolcombe was used by the British and American Army in preparation.

Appledore, HMS Appledore established in 1942, investigated problems that were likely to be encountered on the beach of France during the invasion.

Ilfracombe became a garrison town, the golf course requisitioned and Hele Beach covered in barbed wire.

Braunton Burrows were major training grounds. Many GIs practised the skills they needed to take a defended coast here.

Watermouth Cove, Ilfracombe to Wales was the test for PLUTO (Pipe Line Under The Ocean), oil supply to Mulberry Docks.

Lyme Bay and Slapton Sands where Exercise Tiger took place, the disastrous D-Day rehearsal, where loss of life was massive.

Plymouth was Marshalling Area A in South West Devon and troops who embarked from here landed on Utah beach.

The area of the Noss on Dart had two broadside hauling slips or grids which were designed to allow flat bottomed landing craft to be floated over them sideways at high tide and then moored for inspection etc at low water.

To mention just a few.

 

 

 

Dorset

Portland Harbour was the embarkation point for Marshalling Area D. As well as being a Port Workshop, a Field Hospital and a Prisoner of War Cage for enemy troops captured from Normandy.

Weymouth hosted many troops and vehicles.

Weymouth Bay saw large transporter ships lying at anchor awaiting troops who were loaded onto small landing craft and then transferred.

 

 

Hampshire

Portsmouth as a Naval Port obviously was a major player and the Southsea Seafront was declared a restricted zone on the 1st April 1944. Portsmouth was the headquarters and main departure point for the military and naval units destined for Sword Beach on the Normandy coast.

Portsmouth historic dockyard where many specialist ships and landing craft used on D-Day had been modified at the dockyard. Parts of the Mulberry Harbours (artificial harbours that were used by the Allies for landing troops and supplies in Normandy) were built there. It was also an embarkation point for troops.

Langstone Harbour (the entrance) was used as a site for the construction of components of the Mulberry Harbours. Many landing barges were also moored in Langstone Harbour in the lead up to D-Day.

HMS Daedalus (the Culdrose gig Daedalus takes its name from here) was once a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm base, an airfield that supported naval and ground forces on D-Day and afterwards, which was located at Lee on Solent.

Plus so many more locations. When you are travelling to regattas, rowing around your area, take a moment to reflect on the historical events that have unfolded there and their impact on history.