There are two memorials at Slapton Sands. The first is a large granite obelisk that stands at the north end of Slapton Ley, mid-way between Strete and Torcross. Presented by the United States in 1954, it refers to the time when the area was evacuated in 1943 and 1944 to enable military exercises as practices for the landings in Normandy.
The Memorial reads: “This memorial was presented by the United States army authorities to the people of the South Hams who generously left their homes and their lands to provide a battle practice area for the successful assault in Normandy in June 1944. Their action resulted in the saving of many hundreds of lives and contributed in no small measure to the success of the operation. The area included the villages of Blackawton, Chillington, East Allington, Slapton, Stokenham, Strete and Torcross together with many outlying farms & houses.” [As Muriel and David Murch and Len Fairweather note on page 37 of their book, “The American Forces at Salcombe and Slapton during World War Two” (1984), the village of Sherford was inadvertently omitted from the Memorial.]
As early as 1938, then-Brigadier Bernard Law Montgomery was pressing for a combined forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) amphibious landing exercise to be held in the summer of that year, in the light of the rise of Hitler. This was to be the first exercise of its kind since Gallipoli in 1915. The plans for the exercise, to be held at Slapton Sands, were meticulous and included a 15-foot model of the Slapton shoreline. The men were brought ashore in cutters and whalers and in lifeboats. Guns, tanks and lorries were landed from flat-bottomed craft. Tracks of heavy canvass with a heavy wire mesh were laid on the shingle to the water’s edge and these proved sufficient to get machinery across the beach. (Source for this paragraph – clicking on this brings up a pdf of an Information Display from Slapton Village.) In her book “The Land Changed its Face: The Evacuation of the South Hams 1943-44” (1973), Grace Bradbeer reports that these exercises (which did not include live firing) were so successful that what had been planned to take place over five days were all completed in one (page 38).
In the long-term planning for the D-Day landings, amphibious landing training was needed, especially for fresh inexperienced US forces. The subsequent choice of Slapton Sands as the location for D-Day training in 1943-1944 was credited as largely the doing of Montgomery who spotted the similarities in the topography of the area to Normandy’s “Utah” beach. In order to preserve secrecy and security, the villages of Blackawton, Chillington, East Allington, Sherford, Slapton, Stokeham, Strete and Torcross were evacuated of all residents and their possessions – an area of 30,000 acres and a total of 3,000 residents. Only six weeks notice was given. The evacuation area was as follows:
As pointed out by one source, this rural, agricultural area had been largely unaffected by the war up until then. Few households had telephones or motor cars and many people had never travelled further away than 15 to 20 kilometres in their entire lives. In addition to the residents it was necessary to consider the movement of farm machinery, crops, livestock, and family pets. There are many personal stories of upheaval and tragedy surrounding this mass evacuation but the common response of the inhabitants was to follow the instructions of authorities “without explanation or argument”. It was accepted that it was for the greater good, to assist the vital war effort.
Just recently, some archive movie footage of the evacuation from the US National Archives Video Collection has been posted on YouTube. This 11 minute segment shows US Army vehicles in Slapton and its surrounding area, and then shows the loading of evacuees’ household belongings onto trucks:
A documentary film, “Evacuation”, was made just a few years ago. The story of the evacuation is told largely in the words of seven local residents who were children at the time, mixing in photographs and previously unseen archive footage. The production was put together by local film-maker Ian Phillips and funded by the Slapton Line Partnership, South Devon Areas of Outstanding National Beauty and The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The following is an 11 minute extract from the 70 minute film:
A number of practice landings by US soldiers took place at Slapton Sands during early 1944, usually with live ammunition being fired across the beach as the landing craft came in. It has been said that more casualties happened on this practice beach than on the actual Utah Beach landings on D-Day.
“The Evacuation of the South Hams” is an October 2010 article to be found on the “By The Dart” website which is published by South Devon Magazines.
“The Land We Left Behind: A Pictorial History and Memories of the War Years in the South Hams – Produced To Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of D-Day” by Robin Rose-Price & Jean Parnell is a 96 page local history booklet published in 2004. It provides the evacuees’ viewpoint.
The second memorial to be found on Slapton Sands is the subject of the next Post on this beach.
See also the following Tumblestone Posts: Slapton Sands, Part One: A Visit, Mid-2016; Slapton Sands, Part Two: The Significance of the Shingle Beach; Slapton Sands, Part Four: The Tragedy of “Exercise Tiger”; Slapton Sands, Part Five: Beach Stones in the Rough; Slapton Sands, Part Six: The Beach Stones Polished; “Exercise Tiger” 75th Memorial on Slapton Sands; and More on the 75th Anniversary Commemorations of “Exercise Tiger” on Slapton Sands.
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